Southwestern Minnesota Towns Fight Flooding After Heavy Rain
SPRINGFIELD, Minn. (WCCO) -- Two days after bad storms swept across the state, some southwestern Minnesota towns are rolling up their sleeves for a flood fight.
The high water forced the Cottonwood River to rise near towns like Currie and Wabasso. Now towns downstream, like Springfield, are feeling the effects.
Deputies in southwestern Minnesota evacuated some residents after rapidly rising water levels in the Cottonwood River. The river approached record-level Wednesday afternoon.
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In the span of just a few hours, city officials in Springfield say the Cottonwood River rose about 12 feet. The result of that is flooded out baseball and softball fields.
In fact, Riverside Park was completely dry as of about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. On Thursday, the outdoor pool and nearby campground are completely under water. A nearby dog park was also flooded.
On the south side of town, 12 homes lost power. And Wednesday night, the Riverbluff Apartment Complex had to be evacuated. Several roads around town also remain closed.
"There's so many roads blocked off that it takes you 60 miles to get 10 miles away," resident Doug Marz said.
"I asked somebody here what about the ball diamond? They said they doubt there will be any ballgames here this year anymore. That's kind of a letdown," homeowner Susan Rogotzke said.
WCCO is told a generator is being brought in from the Twin Cities to help bring back power to that part of town. They hope to have power restored sometime Thursday night.
The American Red Cross is helping displaced residents while others are still dealing with no power.