St. Croix's river cities on high alert as flood waters continue rising
BAYPORT, Minn. -- Water levels continue to rise putting river cities along the St. Croix on alert. Bayport city leaders said the last time the city saw significant flooding was in 2019 when the St. Croix crested at 88.5 feet.
Currently, the water levels in Bayport match that of the St. Croix at Stillwater.
As of late Monday morning, the National Weather service reported the St. Croix reached moderate flood stage at 88 feet, and Bayport city leaders said they're expecting it will rise another foot and a half to major flood stage in the next couple of days.
Riverside Park has been a common place for people to stop and see the rising waters for themselves.
Currently, all the outfield at the baseball field and the benches are covered in water. Other park benches and grills are also starting to get submerged in water.
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Don Coakley has had a front row seat to spring flooding from his home in Bayport for nearly 30 years. He said he's seen the park flood often of times in the past but said this year might be different.
"Right now, if it gets that high it usually stays that way and then it recedes, but when it starts to cross the street it goes over that and then it will fill where the boats are here and then the water will start to come across the parking lot to towards our place and they're predicting it's going to get that bad," he said.
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City leaders said there's aren't many businesses right on the water other than marinas that would be affected by the rising water.
They said there will be some homes affected, but some of the newer homes here were also elevated when they were built, which should help.
People who live off of Front Street say they've seen flooding like this before. But as the levels continue to rise this week, there's concern that it could become historic, with major flooding here.
WCCO News' Derek James caught up with our very own Rebecca Kolls Monday, who is already having to take a different way of commuting to work: by canoe.
"A couple of years ago when the water came over the road, it was navigable by foot, except it was up to your knees, and all the carp would come in," Kolls said. "And that night, the carp munched on your legs, which was kind of really creepy."
Kolls is concerned for flooding like she's never experienced before.
"In 1964, the water was 689 feet…so that brought it into the house. This year, it's expected on Wednesday that it's going to crest at 689.5. That means I'll have over a foot of water in my lower level," she said.
And if you don't have a canoe, or it's too windy as has been the case the last couple of days, you basically ended up billygoating your way through your neighbor's yards to get home.
Kolls says she and her neighbors have been busy preparing as best they can.
"Quickly unloading the house and the garage and trying to save everything that's worth saving," she said.
Kolls' flood coverage kicked in just in the nick of time. But for others who don't have insurance, they're simply going to have to wait and see what the St. Croix does next.