Flooding in Minnesota, April 1 to 30, 1997

The Minnesota River reached flood stage at Henderson on 3/15/97 and continued to slowly rise through the last half of March, peaking at many locations by mid April. The river remained above flood stage until mid May. Flood stage of the River in Montevideo was 14 feet which was reached on 4/2/97. The river crested at 23.9 feet on 4/7/97 establishing a new record crest in Montevideo. Other monitoring points along the Minnesota River reached crests that were at 3rd or 4th all time record levels, including Mankato, Henderson, Jordan, Shakopee and Savage. Minnesota River flooding resulted in severe losses to public and private property. An early Spring storm brought heavy rain, snow and high winds to the area on 4/5-6/97 at the peak of the flooding, severely aggravating the situation. Many roads were closed in the Montevideo and Granite Falls areas. Firefly Creek Casino closed due to lack of road access. Yellow Medicine county museum flooded on 4/5/97. Sanitary sewer lift station failed in Montevideo causing sewage to backup into homes. 400 residents were evacuated. Up to 150 homes in Montevideo reported flooding to some degree. Sewer backups also reported in Watson and Clarkfield. Highway 212 bridge collapsed west of Granite Falls. All county and township roads in Lac Qui Parle county were closed to unnecessary travel for a time. 15 to 20 percent of tillable land in Lac Qui Parle county under water by 4/10/97. Greater than 60 homes evacuated in Granite Falls. Flood waters knocked out Granite Falls water treatment plant, forcing water rationing. Schools were closed in districts close to the Minnesota River. Hawk Creek, a tributary of the Minnesota River caused a basement to collapse in Clara City. Dairy farmers forced to dump milk due to inability to get trucks to farms. At one point, only one bridge (Highway 4 in Fairfax) spanning the Minnesota River was still open between Mankato and the South Dakota border. A 60 foot section of county highway 1 was washed away in Renville county. The water level reached the tops of kitchen counters at a farmstead in Renville county. Grain elevator in New Ulm received substantial damage. 20 farms and 5 residences hit hard by flooding in New Ulm area. Numerous roads between New Ulm and St. Peter closed, including highway 169 north of Mankato. Roadways closed in Le Sueur, Sibley, Carver and Scott counties. Several metro area commuter roads closed including highway 101 in Chanhassen, highway 41 in Chaska and the Black Dog Road off ramp from Interstate 35 in Burnsville.