Water rescues and roads closed: Torrential rains cause flash flooding in southern Minnesota
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
Read the latest about the flash flooding here.
Emergency crews rescued two teenagers and an adult from a rain-swollen creek Thursday about 10 miles east of Austin in southeast Minnesota, following torrential rain that caused widespread flooding across the region.
The three individuals were stranded in the rushing current, clinging to the branch of a tree for about 20 minutes, before they were spotted by campers at the nearby Adventure Bound Beaver Trails campground, according to Mower County Sheriff Steve Sandvik.
“Thankfully our first responder teams arrived quickly and were able to get them to safety, so [we’re] very happy with the outcome,” Sandvik said.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
Sandvik said it’s not clear how the two 16-year old boys and the 43-year-old man ended up in the water, nor if they were campers at the campground. Employees at Adventure Bound declined an interview request from MPR News.
Mower County Sheriff’s deputies and the Rose Creek and Austin fire departments responded to the incident around 11:30 a.m., and an ambulance was dispatched from Mayo Clinic as a precautionary measure.
Sandvik said by the time his deputy arrived, two of the individuals had already been rescued from the water, the third was rescued shortly afterwards. No injuries were reported and the individuals declined further medical evaluation.
“We really want to drive home the messaging that people should not under any circumstance enter flood water or fast-moving waterways, creeks and rivers,” Sandvik said. “The currents and underwater hazards can quickly overcome people and vehicles' ability to stay in control, and those situations rapidly become life-threatening.”
The campground has not had to make any further evacuations, Sandvik said. The campground did evacuate some campers preemptively early this morning after the Sheriff’s office advised them of the dangerous weather conditions. No current occupied structure is in danger.
Sandvik explained that there are a number of campgrounds in Mower County in low lying areas that especially vulnerable to weather events like this one. This isn’t the first time the Adventure Bound Beaver Tails campground has flooded — it happened in 2022, as well.
Sandvik said there have been no injuries or casualties in the county so far, but there was a water rescue of a vehicle this morning. And Rose Creek, a small city within the county, has asked residents to limit water usage so as not to overwhelm the city’s sewage system, according to Sandvik.
The flooding has led to significant roadway closures across the region. Interstate 90 east of Austin, Minn., was closed Thursday morning after floodwaters swamped the highway, making it impassible. By early afternoon, only the eastbound lanes had reopened, but the Minnesota Department of Transportation reported that the interstate highway had fully reopened at about 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
MNDOT said there still may be some shoulder lane closures as crews work to inspect the roadway and replace gravel that was washed out.
Sheriff Sandvik said there does not appear to be any significant damage to the interstate.
Officials in Mower County, as well as those in neighboring Fillmore and Houston counties, have reported several additional road closures either because flood waters damaged them or high water made the roadways impassable. MnDOT reported that State Highway 43 in Fillmore County, near Mabel, was closed due to flooding. And local sheriffs reported the the rapidly rising floodwaters had washed out some gravel roads in rural areas.
Fillmore County Sheriff John DeGeorge told MPR News that as of midmorning, he was not aware of any injuries due to the flooding, but he said several people had to be rescued from their vehicles, after they stalled in the flooded roadways.
DeGeorge asked residents to avoid any unnecessary travel.
“Don't travel in any area that's low lying or where there is a waterway that crosses underneath the road or nearby the road, because there's a reasonable chance that those roadways are going to be closed right now,” DeGeorge said. “And, for sure, don't try to drive through any standing or moving water.”
More thunderstorms are expected Thursday evening across much of Minnesota. Some could be severe. Find more forecast information at Updraft, the MPR News weather blog.
