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 Home > Thisjustin > Story

Published - Tuesday, June 10, 2008

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Many roads still closed in Houston County; state of emergency declared

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CALEDONIA, Minn. — A state of emergency was declared in Houston County by its board of commissioners Monday in the wake of powerful weekend storms that dumped up to 10 inches of rain in some areas.

No injuries were reported, but officials estimate damage totals could be more than $6 million in the region that includes Houston and Fillmore counties.

The county’s Code Red emergency notification system was activated six times during the weekend to warn people of weather conditions and evacuation notices, according to the Houston County Emergency Management office.

Flood waters and mudslides kept roads closed and farmland submerged throughout the county Monday. Residents and campers were voluntarily evacuated Sunday from several communities, and many spent the day shoveling mud and debris.

Damage assessment teams are looking at public infrastructure and private homes to determine whether the storm’s price tag will meet the $6.2 million threshold for Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty to ask for federal assistance, said Houston County Emergency Manager Kurt Kuhlers. The deadline is noon today.

Pawlenty visited the area Monday morning to see the damage in the same region that was ravaged less than a year ago by severe floods that killed seven people in August.

Heidi Olson and Chris Moon took took a flat-bottom boat over Heidi’s father, Port Olson’s, 120 acres of corn and soybeans Monday to get to the farm. Floodwater from the South Fork covered Redding Road and Benson Drive that connect the farm to Hwy. 16 near Houston.

“Its flooded in years past, but it’s never been this bad,” Heidi Olson said. The boat’s depth-finder read between 3 and 4 feet from the road to the farm.

The crops, planted the third week of May, were likely too young to withstand the excess water, Heidi Olson said. She anticipated all the crops would be lost.

Twyla Thorson said there would likely be some fences needing repair, and the quick moving water could have damaged the fields at her father, Tenus Thorson’s, farm, located off Redding Road.

“The water always goes down,” Tenus Thorson said. “We have to wait.”

Some Winnebago Valley residents and campers at Camp Winnebago, located about five miles south of Caledonia along Hwy. 5, were voluntarily evacuated and offered shelter Sunday at the Caledonia Community Center, Kuhlers said.

“The campground was getting flooded, and the fire marshal told us to get out,” said Boon Lor, 28, who was camping Sunday at Camp Winnebago. Impassable roads trapped the St. Paul man and his party.

Camp staff led the group on a two-mile hike along a trail late Sunday to higher ground. They were able to return to their campsite Monday to pack their belongings.

Camp Winnebago employee Chris Christian spent Monday shoveling mud and removing debris from the Winnebago Creek that runs through the camp.

“It’s the worst we’ve ever seen it,” he said. “I started (cleaning) Sunday at 1 p.m., and I had it all cleaned off from the first rain. Then it came through again and made it worse.”

Camp counselors found themselves knee-deep in mud Monday rather than working with children as they expected. The start of camp activities was delayed until today.

“Sunday we saw the creek expand,” said Michaela Clark, 19, of Yorkshire, England. “It was scary because you didn’t know what was happening.”

Brownsville residents were offered shelter Sunday at the community center when mudslides threatened their homes, said Mike Moriarty, city clerk. About eight people stayed until 9:30 p.m. when the threat passed.

Hokah crews tried to prevent damage to the fire station and sewage plant by using sandbags, said Rodney Blank, city administrator. Cars from Tri-State Auto were moved to the nearby Kwik Trip lot.
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