Minnesota, 1997

Flooding in Minnesota, March 25 to 31, 1997

March 25 to 31, 1997 · NWS FSD · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

Snowmelt flooding began in late March and continued through the end of the month. River flooding occurred on the Redwood, Rock, and on the upper West Fork Des Moines Rivers.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS FSD wrote it up.

Snowmelt flooding began in late March and continued through the end of the month. River flooding occurred on the Redwood, Rock, and on the upper West Fork Des Moines Rivers. Lowlands including farmland, roads, basements, and a few homes were flooded. The worst flooding occurred along the Rock River in Luverne and elsewhere in Rock County with many roads flooded, and considerable park and tree damage. Flood damage was roughly estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars at the end of March, and this did not include damage from farmland flooding which could not even be estimated until later in the year. Also, any damage estimates could not be complete because the flooding was continuing into the next month.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Lincoln

When
March 25, 7:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Lincoln forecast zone
Coordinates
44.413, -96.267 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Lyon

When
March 25, 7:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Lyon forecast zone
Coordinates
44.414, -95.839 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Murray

When
March 25, 7:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Murray forecast zone
Coordinates
44.022, -95.763 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Cottonwood

When
March 25, 7:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Cottonwood forecast zone
Coordinates
44.007, -95.181 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Nobles

When
March 25, 7:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Nobles forecast zone
Coordinates
43.674, -95.753 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Jackson

When
March 25, 7:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Jackson forecast zone
Coordinates
43.674, -95.154 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Pipestone

When
March 25, 7:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Pipestone forecast zone
Coordinates
44.023, -96.259 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Rock

When
March 25, 7:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Rock forecast zone
Coordinates
43.675, -96.253 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flood
Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Minnesota in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, March 1997

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5592004, 5592005, 5592006, 5592007, 5592008, 5592009, 5592010, 5592011.