MPR’s Sea Stachura reports on more than 10 inches of rain that scoured parts of Olmsted and Houston counties. But the real damage followed the rivers as they gushed through towns like Stockton, Goodview, Minnesota City, Houston, Rushford, and La Crescent.
A stalled frontal boundary brought rainfall and flooding of historic proportions to parts of the Upper Mississippi River Valley during August 18-19, 2007. The impact was immense, including sewer systems, roads, bridges, trees, power lines, houses, crops, and property damaged. Numerous mud slides and washed out roads from flash flooding left seven people dead.
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SEA STACHURA: The rain came down for hours in southeastern Minnesota. And at times, it went from a heavy mist to a downpour. More than 10 inches of rain scoured parts of Olmsted and Houston counties.
But the real damage followed the rivers as they gushed through towns like Stockton, Goodview, Minnesota City, Houston, and La Crescent. As Marilyn Shaw stood on the road in front of her sister's house in Stockton, part of the foundation was gone. The National Guard surveying the area marked an orange X on the front door.
MARILYN SHAW: She had sat on her kitchen table for four hours, waiting for a rescue and not knowing if she was going to live. And that's what breaks our heart, because we were home sleeping.
SEA STACHURA: The Shaw house had been hit once before in a 1998 flash flood that rushed through Stockton. The house next door was hit in that flood, too, and the owners had just finished their last remodeling job. Now that house is gone, wiped off its foundation, the torrent of water that turned most of Stockton into a mudflat moved that house three blocks through town with the owners on the roof. Sean Wallegy says he was up on his family's roof when the house went past.
SEAN WALLEGY: They were on our house screaming. I shot them with the flashlight off of my rooftop. And it was like the Wizard of Oz. That house is like turning in slow motion. They were on top screaming. And we had our flashlights on. Nothing you could do.
SEA STACHURA: The homeowners were hospitalized. The house was dumped on the railroad tracks on the other side of town. Parts of those tracks were also lost in the rush of water. Nearby, a side street is sunk into the mud. Pieces of it are snapped like a cracker.
The houses that weren't badly hit had floodwaters up to the front door and soaked basements. Many in the area don't have flood insurance. But Governor Pawlenty says the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency will provide some relief. In the meantime, county officials aren't sure they've found all the victims of the flood.
Four people died in Winona County. Near Stockton, A 67-year-old man and his 66-year-old wife were driving when the water rushed over the road and took the car with it. Another couple died on County Road 17 when the road collapsed under the force of water. The man was 80 years old. His wife was 68. A 37-year-old man is still missing.
In Houston County, two people died-- one in Houston, another in La Crescent. Most of Houston County is inaccessible. 16 roads were closed from mudslides, downed trees, and damaged bridges. The 900 residents of the town of Houston were evacuated to Caldonia. And just to the West, in the Fillmore County town of Rushford, State Senator Sharon Erickson Ropes says people are dazed.
SHARON ERICKSON ROPES: And they only have what they have in their hands. The water is tremendous in Rushford. It's taken out the entire trailer park area. The community park is all underwater. The current is still very strong in the Rush Creek.
SEA STACHURA: FEMA officials are touring Rushford today, and 100 Minnesota National Guard troops are securing the area and helping with rescue efforts. Troops are also in Goodview, Stockton, and Minnesota City. Water and mud aren't the only concerns in this emergency. Winona chief of police Frank Pomeroy says rescue teams have to watch out for contaminated water and other hazards as well.
FRANK POMEROY: And to be honest with you, there are a lot of propane tanks that were attached to houses that are now floating. So there's a lot of issues out there that still need to be taken care of. So if you do go out to that area, remember, that it's still a very, very, very dangerous area.
SEA STACHURA: Most of the region has been under voluntary evacuation. Officials are uncertain how many people have been affected, but it's likely several thousand. In all, Governor Pawlenty declared a state of emergency in six counties-- Houston, Winona, Fillmore, Wabasha, Olmsted, and Steele.
As estimates and tallies grow of sewer systems, roads, bridges, trees, power lines, houses, crops, and property damaged, the state will again ask for federal aid. I'm Sea Stachura, Minnesota Public Radio news, Winona.