Willmar Residents Pumping Water After Getting 8+ Inches Of Rain

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Many residents and businesses in Willmar were pumping water Thursday morning after overnight storms drenched parts of central Minnesota with more than eight inches of rain.

As of 10 p.m. Wednesday, a WCCO Weather Watcher in Willmar reported 8.8 inches of rain had fallen in the area. In nearby spots, Weather Watchers reported getting nearly 5 inches of rainfall.

RELATED: Download The WCCO Weather App

The heavy rains brought reports of damage to homes and businesses. WCCO-TV's Rachel Slavik and Kate Raddatz found about 2 feet of standing water in a Super 8 Hotel. State Rep. Dave Baker, who is from Willmar, shared video from inside the hotel, which can be seen below.

Flooding also occurred in Willmar neighborhoods. In one, every home in a three-block stretch had basements with more than two feet of standing water. Homeowner David Molenaar said his sump pump ran all night, but couldn't keep up with the deluge.

"We tried bailing water out for three hours," he said, "but we gave up at 3 a.m."

RELATED: Business Owners In Willmar Say They've Never Seen Rain Like This

Roads closed due to flooding, and backyard ponds became more like lakes. Resident Jason Maldonado was flabbergasted to see his backyard pond expand.

"All of a sudden we see the pond just rising and rising and eventually I came outside to try to move my truck," Maldonado said.

He was too late. His truck was under two feet of water with a dead battery. The pond behind his town home spilled out into the neighborhood.

"There was guys out there from the people that own the properties and they're pumping it all night, and probably over 13 hours for pumping," he said.

By midday, however, much of the water had receded.

The forecast for the rest of Thursday calls for mostly dry weather, with showers possible in the afternoon and evening. The weekend looks to be dry and sunny.

Willmar is urging residents to limit their water use, as the extreme rainfall impacted the wastewater treatment facility. That is in effect until the city gives further notice.

In:
• Willmar News
• Flooding