Long road ahead as dangerous flooding devastates southern Minnesota

Hundreds of Mankato residents visited a city-run dump site Wednesday to throw away wet carpeting, children's toys, furniture and other belongings destroyed by severe flooding on the Blue Earth River.

Fast-moving, flooded rivers across southern Minnesota have wreaked havoc on local communities in recent days and the scope of the recovery ahead won't come into focus until the waters recede.

"I want people to just be assured that we are going to do everything we can and I hope that provides a bit of comfort for folks," Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan said Wednesday at a media briefing in Mankato.

Mankato City Manager Susan Arntz said the river crested around 29.7 feet in Mankato on Tuesday and water levels are expected to recede at least a few feet by Friday.

During Wednesday's media briefing, officials repeatedly urged the public to adhere road closures and safety barricades and stay out of the debris-filled, fast-moving water.

"It is incredibly unsanitary," Flanagan said. "There is sewage in that water, it is unsafe for a whole host of reasons."

John Cunningham, assistant commissioner to Minnesota Department of Public Safety, said the flood conditions in southern Minnesota are some of the most dangerous he's seen in his career.

"I can't emphasize enough just how important it is to stay away from that moving water," he said.

On Tuesday, massive erosion caused by the partial failure of the Rapidan Dam caused a home to collapse into the Blue Earth River.

Devestation in Waterville

The Minnesota National Guard deployed 44 soldiers to Waterville on Monday to aid city workers after flood waters rose and filled the sewer system.

Aerial footage from Waterville show portions of the small town completely submerged in water , jeopardizing homes and businesses.

Cannon and Straight rivers flood Faribault

Flood waters are receding in Faribault, although several roads, two city parks and the city's compost site all remain closed due to high water.

At the Faribault Armory, the Red Cross has opened an emergency shelter for residents displaced by flooding and is offering food, shelter and cleanup kits for residents dealing with flood damage.

Speaking in Mankato on Wednesday, Flanagan said Minnesotans across the state are experiencing the impacts of climate change.

"We are going to need to continue to build climate resilient communities and that will need to be the focus of policy makers in Minnesota, and I think across this region, for a very long time," she said.

Related: Mississippi River in St. Paul enters major flood stage