Madeleine Baran
Heavy rain has caused flooding in parts of the Twin Cities metro area Tuesday night.
"It's a bit of a mess with stalls and crashes, and some flooding all over the metro area," said State Patrol spokesman Matt Langer.
Xcel Energy's website reports 8,700 power outages in the metro area.
The National Weather Service reports that rain will likely continue until about 1 a.m. A flash flood warning for the Twin Cities metro area is in effect until 2 a.m.
Motorists should drive slowly and exercise caution, said Minnesota Department of Transportation spokesman Kent Barnard.
Earlier in the evening, officials closed a portion of Highway 280 near Roselawn Avenue due to flooding. Flooding has also been reported along I-35W at 36th Street, but Barnard said the freeway is now passable.
The National Weather Service reports that the storms are moving northeast and are expected to cross into Wisconsin later tonight.