State of Emergency Declared in Minn. amid Severe Flooding

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
SEVERE FLOODING
CROP DISASTER
STATE OF EMERGENCY
DISASTER DECLARATION
SCENARIOS 444, 111, 023
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MN Gov. Declares a State of Emergency as Torrential Rains Flood Crops, Raise River Levels

Minnesota Governor Dayton has declared a State of Emergency after record rainfall inundated dozens of counties, damaging crops, and raising river levels.

“Governor Dayton is also directing the Minnesota National Guard to send 100 soldiers to Koochiching County, where Rainy Lake’s high waters have destroyed hundreds of public and private docks, and flooded many homes and cabins, said a report.

More rain has fallen on the International Falls area this month than in any other comparable period since record keeping began more than 100 years ago.

The 35 counties covered by the initial disaster declaration are Beltrami, Blue Earth, Brown, Dodge, Faribault, Freeborn, Goodhue, Grant, Hubbard, Jackson, Lake of the Woods, Le Sueur, Lyon, Koochiching, McLeod, Morrison, Mower, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pipestone, Ramsey, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Rock, Roseau, St. Louis, Scott, Sibley, Steele, Todd and Waseca.

Up to 10 inches (25cm) of rain has fallen on parts of Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota in the past week—the equivalent of about two months’ rainfall.

“The water level on Lake Minnetonka, recorded since 1906, reached an all-time high Thursday of 930.77 feet above sea level, breaking the record set only 16 days earlier. Minnehaha Creek also set a record, rising quickly in south Minneapolis and overflowing its banks in many spots along Minnehaha Parkway, much of which was closed Thursday,” said a report.