“Flash Flood Emergency” in Duluth: 8″ rainfall totals; 1-2″ more today
700 AM CDT WED JUN 20 2012
...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEASTERN ST.
LOUIS...COOK AND SOUTHERN LAKE COUNTIES UNTIL 430 PM CDT WEDNESDAY...
...A FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY FOR DULUTH AND THE NORTH SHORE...
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AT 653 AM CDT...THE RAIN HAD LET UP FOR A TIME ACROSS THE DULUTH
AREA AND ALONG THE NORTH SHORE...BUT ANOTHER AREA OF HEAVY RAIN WILL
MOVE INTO THE AREA AGAIN THIS MORNING. WEATHER OBSERVERS REPORTED
NEARLY 8 INCHES OF RAIN IN THE DENFELD AREA OF WESTERN DULUTH.
EARLY THIS MORNING...MINNESOTA POWER ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WOULD BE
INCREASING THEIR DISCHARGE INTO THE SAINT LOUIS RIVER FROM THE FOND
DU LAC DAM. THE DISCHARGE OF 25000 CFS IS HIGHER THAN NORMAL AND
WILL RESULT IN FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS IN THE FOND DU LAC
NEIGHBORHOOD ALONG THE SAINT LOUIS RIVER. THE FOND DU LAC DAM IS
CURRENTLY NOT AT RISK. THIS WARNING IS TO ALERT PEOPLE ALONG THE
RIVER OF THE POTENTIAL OF FLOODING AND EVACUATIONS HAVE BEEN
ORDERED.
THE DULUTH POLICE DEPARTMENT ADVISES NO TRAVEL IN THE CITY. RAINFALL
OF NEARLY 8 INCHES IN SPOTS WAS NOTED FROM THE DULUTH AREA AND ALONG
HIGHWAY 61 OF THE NORTH SHORE. VARIOUS MEDIA OUTLETS AND LAW
ENFORCEMENT ARE REPORTING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE IN THE CITY OF
DULUTH...WITH SOME COLLAPSED ROADS AND NUMEROUS ROAD CLOSURES
THROUGHOUT THE CITY. THE FLOOD APPEARS TO BE REMINISCENT OF THE
FLOOD OF 1972 AND ONE THAT SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY. THE DULUTH
NEWS TRIBUNE ONLINE LIVE BLOG HAD REPORTS OF PEOPLE BEING
RESCUED...VEHICLES FALLING INTO SINKHOLES ON COLLAPSED ROADS AND
RIVERS AND STREAMS OVERTAKING ROADWAYS.
WE CANNOT STRESS WHAT A MAJOR THREAT THIS IS FOR THE CITY OF DULUTH
AND ALONG THE NORTH SHORE. AGING INFRASTRUCTURE WILL ALSO PLAY A
PART IN THE FLOOD THREAT...ESPECIALLY ON THE HILLSIDE. HIGHWAY 61
REMAINS CLOSED IN SPOTS WITH WASHOUTS...OVERFLOWING STREAMS AND
RIVERS...WASHED OUT CULVERTS AND WASHED OUT ROADS. JUST BECAUSE YOU
MIGHT BE ABLE TO TRAVEL TO A DESTINATION NOW...DOES NOT MEAN YOU
WILL MAKE IT IN ONE TO TWO HOURS. THIS IS HOW FAST THIS SITUATION
MAY DETERIORATE AS MORE RAINFALL MOVES IN FROM THE WEST. THERE IS
THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERAL MORE INCHES OF RAIN TODAY AND THE UTILITY
SYSTEM AND THE SATURATED GROUND CANNOT TAKE MUCH MORE RAIN.
RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO
OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLASH FLOODING
INCLUDE...DULUTH...GRAND MARAIS...ADOLPH...ALGER...ARNOLD...BEAVER
BAY...CASTLE DANGER...CHESTER PARK DULUTH...EAGLE MOUNTAIN...
FINLAND...FRENCH RIVER...GRAND PORTAGE...HERMANTOWN...HOVLAND...
ILLGEN CITY...KNIFE RIVER...LAKEWOOD TWP...LARSMONT...LESTER PARK
DULUTH...LITTLE MARAIS...LUTSEN...MUNGER...MURPHY
CITY...PALMERS...RICE LAKE TWP...SCHROEDER...SILVER BAY...TACONITE
HARBOR...TOFTE AND TWO HARBORS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS
SAFELY.
FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS IMMINENT. IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHERE
YOU ARE RELATIVE TO STREAMS...RIVERS...OR CREEKS WHICH CAN BECOME
KILLERS IN HEAVY RAINS. CAMPERS AND HIKERS SHOULD AVOID STREAMS OR
CREEKS.
DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF FLOOD WATERS. ONLY A FEW INCHES OF
RAPIDLY FLOWING WATER CAN QUICKLY CARRY AWAY YOUR VEHICLE.