Floods have hit Faribault, Morristown, Dundas, Northfield and likely more cities in and around Rice County, as river gauges surpass their historic highs around Faribault.
"Barricades remain in place blocking a portion of Second Avenue, in front of Fitness in Motion, due to water impacting the road," said Faribault Communications Director Brad Phenow.
"Additionally, the Faribault Compost Site will be closed until further notice due to the increased water levels. … If you see barricades or ‘road closed’ signs, please do not proceed, these are in place for your safety."
Gov. Tim Walz "declared a peacetime emergency" Saturday.
"In Le Sueur County, the city of Waterville and surrounding community have experienced approximately 14-18 inches of rainfall," reads the release. "In lakes Tetonka and Sakatah, and the Cannon River, water has reached uncontrollable levels. Residents have been evacuated and the flood has already caused significant damage."
He also authorized the National Guard to assist with flood operations.
"Continuously rising water levels following additional weekend rainfall has necessitated additional manpower and resources," the release continued.
Morristown is providing sandbag supplies for its residents at Public Works Building, located at 107 Second St SW.
Faribault has opened a self-serve sandbag station at the Faribault Public Works Facility, located at 1200 Belview Avenue. The sandbag station will close at 9 p.m. Saturday, and likely will reopen Sunday night.
Scoops are available at the Faribault station, but the city asks those willing and able to bring a shovel.
No public sandbag supplies are being provided by Northfield or Rice County.
Sandbag barriers served to prevent water from entering or destroying property, whether homes or businesses. A representative from Xcel Energy said teams were deployed in Faribault as the water reached a power station near Riverchase Apartments.
"Severe weather has kept our crews busy in southern Minnesota for the past several days," said Xcel Energy Senior Media Releations Representative Theo Keith said. "On Saturday, crews placed sandbags around our equipment to protect from the flooding in the Faribault area. This ensured we were able to maintain reliable electric service for our customers in the area."
Three Faribault men wore swim trunks around the railroad tracks near downtown Saturday, seemingly thinking of taking a dip. Rice County Sheriff's Captain Nathan Budin advised against it.
"The water can be deceiving," he said. "The waters current can be calm on the surface but more rapid just a few feet below. There is a lot of debris being swept up causing unknown dangers under the surface. The debris also can travel at high speeds through the water, causing an increased risk of injury.
"The water also can create washouts on land that were not there just a day or two ago. The water is dirty, dark and you may not see a washout or sink hole. If you were to be submerged under the water just a few inches, others may not be able to see or find you. Please be safe and encourage others to stay out of the water."
The Cannon River in Northfield is not anticipated to reach its historic high of 901.5 feet in 2010, and 901.3 feet in 2016. The National Water Prediction Service predicts it will reach 901 feet, as of Saturday afternoon.
The Cannon and Straight rivers flow south to north, and records are being broken upstream.
In Morristown, data for the Cannon River gauge doesn't go back further than a decade. Still, with Saturday afternoon's reading of 16.59 feet, the record from 2016 was surpassed by more than a foot.
The Straight River in Faribault hasn't quite reached record levels, but parking lots near the river are beginning to flood. Several residences have been flooded, and the gauge reads 12.15 feet.
Ava Lohrmann, who lives in apartments near the Straight River and downtown Faribault, sent the Faribault Daily News a photo of her flooded parking lot, noting management had yet to say anything and it was the first time it had occurred.
Headed toward Dundas, a few miles north of Faribault, the 2014 record was surpassed by nearly two feet. As of Saturday afternoon, that gauge reads 23.42 feet.
The Rice County Sheriff's Office issued a press release Saturday morning stating the following roads have been closed due to flooding:
County Road 15 or 250th St W at 4th St SE – MorristownCounty Road 21 or 270th St E between Albers Ave and the 2600 block of 270th St – Walcott TownshipCounty Road 44 at Morristown Dam – MorristownCounty Road 58 or between 100th St W and 110th St W – Erin TownshipCounty Road 59 or Union Lake Trail between Gonvick Ave and Bagley Ave – Wheatland and Webster TownshipsCounty Road 59 or Cody Lake Trail between Le Sueur Ave and Jasper Trail – Wheatland TownshipCounty Road 64 from Irwin Trail to Jackson Ave – Erin TownshipCounty Road 76 or Acorn Trail at 32nd St NW – FaribaultCounty Road 88 or Farmer Trail at Foley Ave – Wheeling TownshipCounty Road 95 or Dalton Ave from Cannon Lake Trail to 222nd St W – Warsaw TownshipCounty Road 99 or Leroy Trail between 245th St W and Le Sueur Ave – Morristown TownshipCounty Road 137 or Le Sueur Ave between 160th St W and 180th St W – Shieldsville TownshipHamel Trail at Fosston Ave in – Morristown TownshipHalstad Ave between 260th St W and 270th St W – Morristown TownshipFourth St NW between W Franklin St and Main St – MorristownE Washington St between Third St SE and County Road 15 – MorristownThird St SE between Ann St E and E Washington St – MorristownSecond Ave NW between 14th St NW and 20th St NW – FaribaultPark Ave NW between Cardinal Ave and Greenleaf Road – FaribaultFarwell Ave between County Road 12 and 13 – Warsaw Township240th St E between County Road 17 and Echo Ave – Warsaw Township
The county issued a public notice Sunday morning that said the Solid Waste Facility reopens 7:30 a.m. Monday. It also stated:
"Rice County residents and business owners with questions about the recent storms and storm-related property damage totals to should email RCEM@ricecountymn.gov. Include your name, address, contact information, a brief description of damage incurred, damage estimate(s) and whether losses are covered by flood insurance. This information will be used to assist in obtaining disaster relief."
The county also prepared a webpage ( bit.ly/RiceCo_June2024RainEvent ) with information on the event.
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