Spring blizzard brings fears of more Midwest flooding
A powerful spring storm is now deadly as it continues to wreak havoc across the northern Plains and upper Midwest. One person was killed in Colorado when their car slammed into a snowplow. The major system has buried some areas under more than two feet of snow and a state of emergency has been declared in Minnesota.
The storm is expected to weaken on Friday bringing new fears of potentially disastrous flooding. CBS News' Adriana Diaz reports from Watertown where snow drifts climb as high as six feet and residents are just starting to dig out. Many major roads aren't yet safe to travel and thousands are still without power across the region.
Cars and big rigs were no match for whiteout snow and powerful wind gusts topping 60 miles per hour. The wintry blast shook power lines, freezing some, and toppling others. At one point, nearly 77,000 homes and businesses were without power.
In Watertown, Diaz met Ron Loher as he tried, perhaps in vain, to clear snow from his yard.
"It almost seems like it's almost not worth it to try and clear the snow at this point," she said.
"No it really isn't," Loher said. "I'll come out for a little today then go back and spend the rest of the day at home."
But not everyone had that option. With several interstates shut down, more than 100 truck drivers were stranded at a rest stop, forced to sleep in their truck.
The blizzard is impacting far more than just traffic. Farmers in cattle country are scrambling to keep their livestock alive.
"When you get 10, 12 inches or more on the ground, it's just tough … to work … make sure they're alright," one cattle farmer said.
Farmers have told us that they've had to stay up all night in shifts checking on their cattle, especially the baby calves that are born this time of year. Some are worried about potential flooding once all the snow melts after. Last month's severe floods wiped out entire farms in other parts of the region.