New Richland turns to flooding clean up, recovery, and long-term solutions for drainage ditch
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Residents of New Richland spent much of Tuesday continuing to clean up and dry up in the aftermath of severe flooding that happened over the weekend.
Some people piled up ruined furniture, soggy carpets and other flood-damaged items out by the curbs in front of their homes, while others cleared out their homes into their yards, where they filled up dumpsters or hauled their destroyed belongings away in trailers and trucks.
Many residents say they were caught off guard by the torrential downpours Friday night and Saturday that dumped nine inches of rain on the community, and they were forced to evacuate from their homes very quickly. Some had to be rescued.
Susan Wigham, 70, of New Richland, said the water rose quickly and flooded basement and and the ground level of her home. Two neighbors luckily were nearby to help her cross waist-high deep stormwater to get out.
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“We grabbed what we could,” Wigham said. “By the time we got outside, it was way high on our waist, and we had to walk about a block to get out of the flood area. And then the cop [came] by and gave us a ride.”
Wigham is staying with her sister-in-law across town in an area that wasn’t badly affected by the flooding. Unfortunately, she had to throw out many of her children’s belongings that were stored in the basement along with precious family keepsakes. She had to tear out the carpet, and two cars were swamped by standing water.
This isn’t the first time Wigham’s been hit with flooding. Her New Richland home flooded badly in 2010, too, it took six months for repairs to be completed before she could return. This time, she may be out of her home for much longer. And she doesn’t have flood insurance.
Flooding didn’t just get into houses. Laurel Whelan, 72, of New Richland, experienced a little flooding inside her basement and had to tear out the carpet. But it was her storage locker in town that had been submerged in five feet of water. She spent all of Tuesday clearing it out.
“For tools and stuff, I’m probably losing five, $6,000,” Whelan said. “My son-in-law, they’ve lost probably a couple thousand dollars worth of stuff, and none of it’s covered by insurance.”
If you look at an aerial map of the city of New Richland, you may think a small river runs through the town of 1,200 people. But it’s actually a drainage ditch and the creek that comes off it, which the city believes is partially to blame for the disastrous flooding.
More than a half-foot of torrential rain from Friday night into Saturday led to flooded roads, homes and emergency evacuations.
Officials estimate 75 to 80 percent of the 500 home addresses in the city were damaged.
The city has helped eight displaced residents find temporary housing, but city officials believe dozens more are displaced and living with family or friends.
The fire department evacuated a trailer park by boat. Residents came together by pontoon to evacuate 36 residents of a city-run senior care center. Water levels in the single-floor facility reached several feet high.
The facility is about 100 yards away from the creek, which is fed by water from the ditch. Residents also had to evacuate in 2010 due to flooding that came from the same creek.
“Two county ditches converge in the middle of town, which you know has a has a serious impact when nine inches of rain falls that fast,” said Tyler Lendt, city administrator for New Richland.
Preventing future flooding
According to Waseca County, the ditches were constructed to drain land and collect water quickly to provide better soil conditions and increase land available for farmers.
But during large rain events, the drainage ditch often backs up. And it’s been happening more frequently. The city has dealt with significant flooding in 2007, 2010, 2016, 2023 and 2024.
The city commissioned a firm to study the hydrology and engineering of the ditch and come up with a solution in conjunction with the county to prevent future flooding in 2024. The study found the capacity of the ditch is “significantly less than what is needed to keep flood elevations below structures through the city,” and can typically handle excess runoff from agricultural areas, but not extreme weather.
The study suggested several alternatives including increasing the capacity of the ditch, diverting the ditch, buying out properties most impacted by floods or building levees and floodwalls.
The firm estimated the cost at the time could be anywhere from $1.8 million to $3.1 million depending on which solution was chosen. The city’s entire revenue in 2026 is projected to be $1.4 million.
Lendt did not comment on which solution was chosen, saying the city has not discussed the plan with residents who may be impacted. He said the city is currently waiting on state and federal agencies to sign off on the plan. And then, the city still needs to secure funding.
“We're still several years away from being complete,” Lendt said.
Flood recovery just beginning
As of Tuesday, the flood waters had begun to recede.
The city is working with Waseca County officials and state officials to begin the work of recovery, including a full estimate of the damages. And the city is asking everyone to document any money spent for potential reimbursement in the future.
A dumpsite has been set up and staffed with volunteers for residents to dropped off damaged furniture or other items.
The city is working to get a donation fund set up through the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation. The New Richland Benevolence Fund is also accepting donations for food relief. The American Red Cross is also on the ground.
Lendt hopes the city isn’t forgotten in the weeks and months to come and said he has been extremely grateful for the immediate support.
“Volunteers came out of the woodwork, and you know it's hard not to be optimistic about a community when stuff like that happens,” he said.
‘I don’t want to go anywhere else’
Many New Richland residents fear the community will likely flood again. But despite those concerns, many say they still want to keep New Richland as their home, including Susan Wigham, who had lived in the small city for her entire life.
“I don't want to go anywhere else. I love this town, and I love my house,” Wigham said. “It's mine, you know. And I can't imagine trying to start over somewhere.”
