Jackson prepares for Des Moines River to crest on Wednesday
JACKSON, Minn. — A lot of dirt is being moved along the banks of the Des Moines River in Jackson.
Parts of the community of 3,300 have been fighting flooding since Saturday.
Dikes have been built to hold back fast-moving waters from the bridge over Highway 71.
"I was on it the night it actually started overflowing and coming over the top of the bridge," said Matt Pietrowski, of Jackson.
Aerial video shows the scope of the damage to homes and businesses near the river's edge.
As waters rise in Jackson on the west fork of the river, work continues to protect homes and businesses in the city's downtown area. They've built dikes and sandbagged to prevent the type of flooding seen there 55 years ago.
"In 1969, it was one brick up off the sidewalk. It was about a half inch to an inch of going in our doors on the main floor and our basement when you opened the door it was on the landing. Basement was full all the way to the rafters," said Tim Beck, a Jackson resident.
The Des Moines River in Jackson is expected to rise another half foot before cresting Wednesday night at 16.2 feet. It is forecast to stay in major flood stage through the weekend.