Elk River residents preparing for the worst as floodwaters rise
ELK RIVER, Minn. -- Elk River residents are keeping a watchful eye on the rising rivers. They are preparing for the worst as levels start to rival those of the historic flood of 1965.
Officials say the low areas where the Elk River meets the Mississippi River, close to Bailey Point Nature Reserve, are in immediate danger.
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It's a sight and sound many who live in low lying areas of Elk River are use to, but this year the rising waters of the Elk and Mississippi Rivers has them watching and waiting to see what happens next.
"This was the high water mark of 1965. We never felt the water would get this high again," said resident Jerry Jackson.
He has been down this road before.
"We have a thousand feet on the Mississippi here. It's all lake right now," he said.
Looking now at his property, Jackson watches wood ducks swim in what once was his front yard. Seeing their bird houses swallowed by the rising waters has the life-long Elk River resident concerned.
"I wasn't worried, but it's been coming up, well, for the last week it was coming up over a foot a day," he said.
Bailey Point Nature Reserve is where the Elk and Mississippi River meet. All who live here know what to do when the water spills its banks and heads towards their homes.
"We moved the stuff out of the neighbor's garage yesterday," Jackson said.
There is a red marker placed by Jackson and his neighbor, marking where the water stopped on Sunday, up 6 inches in less than a day.
Fire Chief Mark Dickinson has been busy making rounds to the close to 30 homes in harm's way.
"We've got our low-lying areas. I've been trying to go around talking about what they can do to start being prepared," Dickinson said.
Meanwhile, residents watch as the Elk River surges and moves closer to causing big problems for homeowners.
"We're already at eight feet now since Thursday. We went from three feet to eight feet over the weekend. This last weather system kind of messed things up for what we are looking at," Dickinson said.
Elk River is looking at moderate flooding after the river's crest, but officials say if more rain falls and the snowmelt from upriver becomes an issue, they may be in for a long week.
