Flooding threatens cities in Wisconsin and Minnesota, forcing evacuation of dozens more homes

Flooding forces more home evacuations in Minn.

OWATONNA, Minn. — Flooding caused by heavy rain that’s lashed parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin forced the evacuation Friday of dozens of homes in the small city of Owatonna, where swollen waterways closed bridges and threatened to swamp neighborhoods.

Five businesses in Owatonna, a city of about 24,000 residents 65 miles south of Minneapolis, were closed due to floodwater from two creeks and the Straight River, Steele County Commissioner Tom Shea said. The creeks were receding Friday morning but the river was still rising. Authorities were keeping a close eye on two neighborhoods that may need to be evacuated, he said. No injuries had been reported.

A powerful, lingering storm system has dumped almost a half-foot of rain on a swath of southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin, causing widespread flooding that displaced hundreds of homeowners and forced businesses to shut down and schools to cancel classes.

Friday’s forecast called for dry conditions for much of the region, offering a breather for exhausted emergency personnel who have been working long hours to deal with the flooding. But some rivers and streams were likely to continue to rise from as much as 10.5 inches of rain Thursday, and another storm was expected to creep into the region on Saturday.

“It’s a really dangerous situation here. We’re doing a lot of work to try to hold our ground here,” Owatonna Fire Chief Mike Johnson said. He said emergency crews are spending a lot of time trying to maintain the city’s critical infrastructure.

In southeast Minnesota, more than a dozen homes near a dam in the small town of Oronoco were evacuated for fear that torrential rains had weakened the dam.

About 90 miles east of Owatonna in Arcadia, Wis., emergency officials evacuated 343 homes on Thursday as 3-foot floodwaters surged through the city’s downtown area. Nearly half of the city’s 2,400 residents were told to seek shelter elsewhere. Arcadia had a slight chance of rain Friday, with rain more likely Saturday.

Crews also worked to evacuate 80 homes in the nearby city of Black River Falls.

The Wisconsin National Guard distributed thousands of sandbags to municipalities, including 20,000 to Arcadia and 10,000 each to Neillsville and Osseo.

Minnesota and Wisconsin’s governors declared emergencies for large segments of their states Thursday, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty planned to tour flood-damaged areas Friday. The National Weather Service said 3 inches to 5 inches of rain fell across parts of both states on Thursday. As much as 10.5 inches fell on Amboy, Minn.

“It’s only going to get worse,” said Casey Radatz, a 31-year-old semitrailer driver from Arcadia, as he sat Thursday on his bike in a poncho watching the swollen, peanut-butter colored Trempealeau River rage by. “Not good.”

In Owatonna, high water closed the bridges that carry traffic over the Straight River, making travel around the city difficult. Roger Warehime of Owatonna Public Utilities says about a third of the town lost power Friday morning when a substation failed due to the flooding.

Interstate 35 was closed in both directions south of Owatonna due to the flooding, and traffic was being detoured onto other roads.

Johnson, the city’s fire chief, said a water rescue team lost a boat Friday morning to debris in the water.

Friday was supposed to be homecoming for Owatonna High School, but a parade and football game were postponed.

Pastor John Lestock, of Trinity Lutheran Church in Owatonna, said Thursday that water poured into his home’s basement, seeping through the floor and coming in through windows. More than 3 inches of water covered the floor of his church, he said.

A Red Cross shelter was established in southwest Minnesota. The chapter’s executive director, Joyce Jacobs, said utilities were shutting off the gas and electricity in some homes with water in the basement.

Jacobs said water damaged homes and saturated farm fields and ditches. Half the roads in the small town of Truman were completely covered by water.

“One of the first things we saw was a car, and the water was up to the doors,” she said Thursday. “It came up so quick, people didn’t have time to move their cars.”

Todd Richmond reported from Arcadia, Wis.

(This version corrects the population of Owatonna to 24,000, instead of 20,000.)