Flooding in Minnesota, April 1 to 30, 2001

Heavy snowfall during winter remained on the ground through the end of March and then rapidly melted, resulting in river stages close to record levels. Water began to gush through drainage ditches, streams and into the mainstem rivers during midday April 1. Heavy rain April 7-8 over much of central Minnesota (see corresponding flood entry) prolonged the high water and also added one or two feet to many crests during mid April. Another period of heavy rain April 22-23 (see corresponding flood entry) caused rivers to crest again in late April and early May; in some cases the crest was higher than the first. Many rivers remained well above flood stage into mid-May (see May 2001 Storm Data). The crest at Montevideo on the Minnesota River was the second highest ever, only 1.3 feet lower than in 1997. The crest at Stillwater on the St. Croix River was the second highest crest ever, only 1.8 feet lower than in 1965. The crest on the Minnesota River at Henderson came within one half foot of its record level that was set in 1965. The Mississippi River at St. Paul, Hastings, and Red Wing crested at its third highest level ever, lower only than during the floods of 1965 and 1969.Numerous roads and bridges were closed, millions of sandbags used, and approximately 200 homes and businesses were partially submerged with flood waters. About 100 homes and businesses were damaged beyond repair. Part of the Marsh Lake Dam southwest of Appleton (Swift County) eroded on April 7, but officials shored it up with 9000 tons of rock and gravel. Three fatalities were attributed to the flooding. Two boys (ages 5 and 8) in Olivia (Renville County) were playing on top of melting snow along a deep drainage ditch. They died when the snow collapsed into the drainage ditch with its torrential flow. The other fatality came when two men drove around a barricade on Highway 101 at Shakopee (Scott County) and drove into the Minnesota River. One 19 year old man died and the other was injured.