Flooding damages areas in northern Minnesota, including Superior National Forest
BOUNDARY WATERS, Minn. — Heavy rain across northern Minnesota on Tuesday damaged areas in the Superior National Forest, which could impact canoers over the coming days.
Officials say they're still receiving reports of the damage caused by the severe thunderstorms and flash flooding on Wednesday morning.
They say the Trout Lake Portage on the LaCroix Ranger District is closed due to washouts. Areas near Lake Vermilion have also seen higher amounts of rain; the portage from Vermilion Lake to Trout Lake will need to be repaired, the U.S. Forest Service said.
Those with Boundary Waters permits who are impacted will be contacted by the forest service starting Thursday. Those with permits reserved through Saturday will be notified directly of cancelation. Conditions will be reassessed daily to determine if cancelations will need to be extended, forest officials say.
Nearly half of Minnesota has seen about 1.5-4 inches more rain than is typical by this point in June. Flooding across Minnesota has closed roads as well as parks.
Flooding impacts homes, roads in Duluth
A river of gushing water rushed past residences and flooded streets in the Hillside area of Duluth on Tuesday evening.
"Water was just rushing like rapids," said resident Kristine Schmidt. "We knew we were in trouble when the rain wasn't stopping."
More than 2.5 inches of rain caused water damage in Schmidt's home and flooded her basement.
"All we had to do was just hunker down, shut the doors, make sure the water wasn't coming in," said Schmidt.
On Wednesday afternoon, the river of water covering roads was mostly gone, with gravel and dirt left in its wake.
City officials in Duluth said they are still assessing the damage from the storm, however as of now, damage appears to be minor, limited mainly to loosened asphalt road patches and dislodged manhole covers.
Further north, the National Weather Service in Duluth said spots in St. Louis, Lake and Itasca County received more than seven inches of rain.
St. Louis County officials said dozens of roads remain closed due to high water, with an emergency declaration likely to be made next week.
