"Flood tourism is a thing": Officials urge people to stay away from rising rivers, adhere to closures
STILLWATER, Minn. – The St. Croix River is on the brink of major flood stage in Stillwater.
The city has spent weeks preparing for this. The sandbag levee is holding strong Tuesday night protecting downtown, though some businesses have water in their basements.
It's hard to see over the levee, but the river is now touching the bottom of the iconic Stillwater Lift Bridge. Many people are coming to river cities like Stillwater to see the rising water, but officials urge everyone to be cautious, too.
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"We always like to welcome our guests to Stillwater," said resident Bill Esch. "Most people are not necessarily trying to get close to the river, but they're trying to get up in elevation to the places that are higher up where they can see over and see exactly how high the water is to the bridge and the gazebo."
As the St. Croix nears its crest, people come from near and far to capture the moment.
"Flood tourism is a real thing I'm discovering," said Stillwater Mayor Ted Kozlowski on Monday.
Businesses like Lolito Cantina welcome the flood tourists.
"We're a destination in the summertime so we get all of our business, and to have an early kind of push because of the water is kind of nice," said Lolito manager Kimberly Ridgeway.
That is, if visitors can find parking, with lots closed along the river.
"We're probably get a little bit of business, but it's also a deterrent with the no parking that's available. It's a little bit more of a walk for everybody," she said.
Across the state, closures are mounting as parks, trails and roads turn to rivers.
"These rivers are swollen, they're unpredictable," said Gov. Tim Walz. "Stay out of them. Stay out of the boats out of them, all of those things to stay safe."
Officials urge people to adhere to the warnings and not put themselves in harm's way. The Pine County Sheriff's Office posted a reminder after a driver drove on a flooded road.
"We're looking forward for it to go back down so that spring can really officially lead into summer, and we can have even more people be able to come and park," Esch said. "Hopefully it won't be long."
Keep in mind, map apps don't always tell you which roads are closed due to flooding. You can see more up to date road conditions on MnDOT's 511 Travel Information page.