Minnesota, 2007

Flooding in Minnesota, October 18 to 19, 2007

October 18 to 19, 2007 · NWS DLH · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

An intense area of low pressure brought heavy rains to portions of northeast Minnesota on October 18 through the morning hours of October 19. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 5 inches resulted in widespread street and basement flooding in portions of Cook, Lake, St.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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
3

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 DLH wrote it up.

An intense area of low pressure brought heavy rains to portions of northeast Minnesota on October 18 through the morning hours of October 19. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 5 inches resulted in widespread street and basement flooding in portions of Cook, Lake, St. Louis, and Pine counties.

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 Duluth, MN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 18, 10:21 AM CST, 9 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 18, 10:21 AM CST, 9 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 18, 10:13 AM CST, 17 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Lake

When
October 18, 10:30 AM CST to October 19, 11:00 AM CST
Where
Lake County, Silver Bay to Beaver Bay
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
47.300, -91.270

Minnesota State Patrol reported widespread flooding in southern Lake County, between Silver Bay and Two Harbors, and near the Silver Cliff Tunnel and Split Rock Lighthouse from the afternoon of October 18 through the early morning hours of October 19.

Water also inundated portions of Highway 61, Highway 1, and several county roads, including County Road 3 near Silver Bay and Cramer Road near Finland. The Baptism River near Tettegouche State Park was also near bankfull. Some flooding and many washed out driveways were reported in Silver Bay.

Flood, Cook

When
October 18, 10:30 AM CST to October 19, 11:00 AM CST
Where
Cook County, Lutsen to 14.87 mi WSW of Hovland
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
47.650, -90.680

Cook County law enforcement reported widespread road flooding from the evening of October 18 through early October 19. Portions of U.S. Highway 61 were flooded near Taconite Harbor. Several other county roads were also closed due to flooding, including county roads 1, 14, 42, 58, 60, 69, 70, and 71.

Flood, St. Louis

When
October 18, 5:30 PM CST to October 19, 4:00 AM CST
Where
St. Louis County, Duluth to 1.6 mi ESE of Duluth Hgts
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
46.800, -92.100

Portions of Mall Drive and Maple Grove Road were flooded and closed after Miller Creek overflowed its banks during the evening of October 18. The flood waters receded during the early morning hours of October 19. The St. Louis County sheriff also reported flooded basements and culverts in many areas across Duluth.

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 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, October 2007

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: 62126, 62127, 62129.