As Minnesota got a reprieve from significant rainfall Tuesday, Gov. Tim Walz and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar took to the skies to survey damage from widespread flooding in the southern part of the state.

What National Weather Service forecasters have described as “impressive” rainfall triggered severe flooding across the state this month — more than 40 of Minnesota’s 87 counties have been affected.

Gov. Tim Walz, front right, and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, left, brief reporters at the St. Paul Army Aviation Facility at Holman Field in St. Paul on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Alex Derosier / Pioneer Press)

Flooding this past week in southern Minnesota closed roads, caused evacuations in some communities and pushed a dam at Rapidan near its breaking point.

To assess the situation, Walz, Klobuchar and state cabinet leaders took a 90-minute ride aboard a Minnesota Army National Guard Blackhawk helicopter from Holman Field in downtown St. Paul about 70 miles southeast to the Mankato area, which has seen what Walz has called “unprecedented flooding.”

“The scope of it strikes you much more,” Walz told reporters after returning to St. Paul. “You can listen to the number of acres and hear these things, but I think each of us was talking about the amount of standing water that’s out there.”

Rising waters

Since June 18, rising waters have damaged infrastructure and property, ruined crops and led to evacuations in the city of Waterville and surrounding areas in Le Sueur County.

Walz had already visited northern Minnesota to survey damage last week and over the weekend declared a peacetime emergency, activating the Minnesota National Guard to assist with disaster relief.

On Tuesday, Maj. Gen. Shawn Manke said about 40 soldiers are deployed in Waterville to assist with sandbagging and water-pumping, and the Guard is opening its armory in Faribault as an emergency shelter for those displaced by flooding.

Minnesota is getting a break from rain this week, but it’s possible wet weather will continue, according to Daniel Hawblitzel, meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service in the Twin Cities.

At a Monday briefing, Hawblitzel said many areas have seen rainfall amounts of 8 to 9 inches above normal in the month of June alone, and some parts of southern Minnesota have seen as much as 10 to 12 inches of rain in the past week.

That’s led to major flooding on parts of the Cannon, Cottonwood, Crow, Des Moines and Minnesota rivers, and some continue to rise, according to the weather service. In Windom, the Des Moines River on Monday eclipsed the record level set in 1969, with an even higher crest expected Wednesday.

Federal disaster aid

Minnesota will likely seek federal disaster aid to help repair damage across wide swaths of the state, and Klobuchar said it was evident from Tuesday’s aerial survey the state would qualify.

“I am not an engineer but looking at that dam and seeing the severe damage there as well as washed-out roads in Minnesota, I believe we could well be into our $10.5 million — that is the level at which federal aid would kick in for public infrastructure,” she said.

The state also has its own disaster relief fund with about $26 million, and about $50 million will get added to the fund in September.

Damage assessments are already underway in northern Minnesota, said Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson, who said his agency is already working with officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

St. Paul, Stillwater

In St. Paul the Mississippi River on Tuesday was at 17 feet. It is expected to crest at more than 20 feet on Saturday, more than 3 feet higher than major flood stage.

In Stillwater, the St. Croix River was at 685.7 feet above sea level Tuesday. That river is set to crest on Saturday at 688 feet, just under moderate flood stage, according to the National Weather Service.

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