Flood in Minnesota, April 5 to 30, 1997

Near record to record snowmelt runoff combined with heavy rains of 1.5 to 2.5 inches on April 5th caused the Big Stone Lake to rise to a record level of 975.15 feet above sea level, 2 feet above the old record in 1952. The rising lake threatened to breech the Big Stone Dam. As a result, extensive evacuations took place downstream from the Whetstone River and the Big Stone Dam. If the earthern dam would break, water from the lake and river would travel down the Minnesota River flooding homes and farms in low areas. Residents were urged to move to higher ground. Hundreds of people worked around the clock filling sandbags to fortify the dam. All of the residents of the town of Odessa were evacuated on the 6th. People on the peninsula in Ortonville were ordered to move out on the 5th and traffic on Highway 12 was stopped. As Big Stone Lake rose to a record level, many homes, resorts, and businesses in parts of Ortonville and along the lake were flooded and significantly damaged. This was the worst flooding for this area in history.