Minnesota, 2001

Flash Flooding in Minnesota, April 7 to 8, 2001

April 7 to 8, 2001 · NWS MPX · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

The same intense low pressure system that brought high wind to southern Minnesota also dumped a large area of 3 to 4 inches rain across west central and central Minnesota, on top of melting snow and saturated ground. Drainage ditches, still clogged with snow, were unable to accept most of this rain water.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 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
$13 million
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
9

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 MPX wrote it up.

The same intense low pressure system that brought high wind to southern Minnesota also dumped a large area of 3 to 4 inches rain across west central and central Minnesota, on top of melting snow and saturated ground. Drainage ditches, still clogged with snow, were unable to accept most of this rain water. About 3000 homes in Stearns County and 500 homes in Benton County sustained water damage to basements. Several homes were flooded along Hawk Creek near Clara City (Chippewa County), as were about 50 homes in Chokio and Morris (Stevens County). Dozens of people were evacuated, though no injuries were reported. Hundreds of roads were submerged and some bridges flooded.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Twin Cities, MN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 7, 2:44 AM CST, 2 hours 16 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 7, 2:44 AM CST, 2 hours 16 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
330 AM CDT FRI APR 6 2001

NOT MUCH TIME FOR DISCUSSION. FORECAST CONCERN IS FOR SMALL CHANCE
OF STRONG WINDS WITH VORT LIFTING INTO SW MN AND CONTINUING HEAVY
RAIN OVER WEST CENTRAL. ALSO DRY SURGE COMING UP WITH VORT AND
STRONG WINDS LIKELY OVER SOUTHERN MN AS LOW LIFTS INTO WEST CENTRAL
MN. UPPER JET PASSING FARTHER EAST TOWARD SOUTHERN WI DURING MORNING
BUT WITH PRESS RISES AND FORECAST 850 MB WINDS OF 50 TO 60 KNOTS
OVER S MN...SHOULD BE ENOUGH FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR OF SUSTAINED 40
MPH WINDS. WILL GO AHEAD WITH WARNING AFTER CORRD WITH LSE AND FSD.
WILL SURROUND WARNING WITH ADVISORIES THIS AFTERNOON. WEST CENTRAL
MN WILL STILL BE IN DEFORMATION ZONE FOR A TIME THIS MORNING..BUT
MOST OF HEAVY RAIN LIFTING NORTH. WE STILL HAVE URBAN AND SMALL
STREAM OUT TIL 7AM. WRAP AROUND SHOWERS TO GO MOSTLY OVER CENTRAL
SECTIONS SO POPS SEEM A LITTLE HIGH OVER PARTS OF SOUTH. TEMPS
TRICKY..BUT WARM AIR WILL PUSH INTO MOST OF EAST CWA. COLD FRONT TO
QUICKLY FOLLOW WITH POSSIBLE FALLING TEMPS..WILL NOT GET TOO
SPECIFIC RIGHT NOW.

.MSP...HIGH WIND WARNING TODAY SOUTH CENTRAL...SJ OF LINE
       KRWF...KULM...KMKT...KOWA

       WIND ADVISORY THIS AFTERNOON SOUTH OF A
       LINE KAXN..KMGG..KOEO...TO CHIPPEWA COUNTY WI.
JPR

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 100 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 11:00 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Benton

When
April 7, 5:00 AM CST to April 8, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Benton County, Countywide
Property damage
$3.0 million
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
45.699, -93.999 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Chippewa

When
April 7, 5:00 AM CST to April 8, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Chippewa County, Countywide
Property damage
$300,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
45.022, -95.567 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Douglas

When
April 7, 5:00 AM CST to April 8, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Douglas County, Countywide
Property damage
$200,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
45.934, -95.453 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Morrison

When
April 7, 5:00 AM CST to April 8, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Morrison County, Countywide
Property damage
$2.0 million
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
46.013, -94.268 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Pope

When
April 7, 5:00 AM CST to April 8, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Pope County, Countywide
Property damage
$200,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
45.586, -95.444 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Stearns

When
April 7, 5:00 AM CST to April 8, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Stearns County, Countywide
Property damage
$6.0 million
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
45.552, -94.613 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Stevens

When
April 7, 5:00 AM CST to April 8, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Stevens County, Countywide
Property damage
$300,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
45.586, -96.000 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Swift

When
April 7, 5:00 AM CST to April 8, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Swift County, Countywide
Property damage
$500,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
45.283, -95.681 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Todd

When
April 7, 5:00 AM CST to April 8, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Todd County, Countywide
Property damage
$200,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
46.071, -94.898 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Minnesota in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, April 2001

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: 5242076, 5242077, 5242078, 5242079, 5242080, 5242081, 5242082, 5242083, 5242084.