MPR’s Erin Galbally reports on flooding in Austin, Minnesota after a massive rainstorm in area.
A series of disturbances moving along a stalled frontal boundary dropped extremely heavy rain on much of northern Iowa and southern Minnesota on September 14th & 15th, 2004. More than 10 inches of rain fell in a 36-hour period in Faribault and Freeborn Counties. 6-inch totals were common in the region.
ERIN GALBALLY: As news helicopters floated overhead, spectators gathered in clumps around downtown Austin to watch water rush through streets. Helen Johnson surveyed the scene with her grandchildren, standing on a cement bridge. She used to live in this now-flooded neighborhood. And she says she knows from firsthand experience what it's like to rebuild after this type of disaster.
HELEN JOHNSON: They're going to have a heck of a mess to clean up. That's for sure. It's a lot of hard work. And my heart goes out to them because it's terrible. Really, it is terrible.
ERIN GALBALLY: Johnson says from what she can tell, this is the worst flooding to hit Austin in years. Blocks away in Parkland [? has ?] turned into a massive lake. Larry Gullickson stands just outside Austin transportation the garage, where he works. As he watched the water quickly spreading, he said he expected his business would soon be flooded.
LARRY GULLICKSON: This isn't going to get any better. It's going to only get worse for a while yet. It takes out all that stuff north of us about 12 hours to get here. And it's getting on to 12 hours now.
ERIN GALBALLY: Out in the distance, two men try to rescue a turquoise pickup truck. They stand in water up to their waist-- the water still expected to grow higher since the Cedar River won't crest until around midnight tonight. Governor Pawlenty called the situation worse than he expected during a stop at the Austin airport this afternoon. He had just completed a helicopter tour of the region to survey the flooding.
GOVERNOR PAWLENTY: We are in the very early stages of assessing this. But one thing I know for sure, Minnesotans rally around each other in times of crisis, whether it is tornado, whether it is blizzard, whether it is flood. And they will do so again in these circumstances.
This presents a real challenge to Austin and surrounding areas. But these communities and their leaders are strong. Their resilience and their resolve will shine through. And we're going to get them as much help as quickly as we can.
ERIN GALBALLY: Pawlenty says it will take time to assess the extent of the damage. He says local officials will file a report with his office in order to get state aid. And he says, if possible, there will also be an application for federal relief.
GOVERNOR PAWLENTY: The federal government is dealing with these issues across the nation, most specifically in Florida. There may be congressional action that could take place later this year with respect to Florida, and we may have an opportunity to also seek some additional assistance through Congress if that were to occur.
ERIN GALBALLY: But before any of that can happen, the floodwaters must recede and the cleanup begin in earnest. I'm Erin Galbally, Minnesota Public Radio, Austin.
Digitization made possible by the State of Minnesota Legacy Amendment’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, approved by voters in 2008.
Views and opinions expressed in the content do not represent the opinions of APMG. APMG is not responsible for objectionable content and language represented on the site. Please use the "Contact Us" button if you'd like to report a piece of content. Thank you.
Transcriptions provided are machine generated, and while APMG makes the best effort for accuracy, mistakes will happen. Please excuse these errors and use the "Contact Us" button if you'd like to report an error. Thank you.