Mississippi River in St. Paul expected to crest Saturday evening
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Harriet Island in St. Paul is still deep underwater as the Mississippi River is expected to crest Saturday evening.
The river, which has been flooded for days, is projected to crest at 20.3 feet, which would make it the 7th worst flood of the Mississippi River on record.
On Friday evening, President Joe Biden declared a major disaster in Minnesota, ordering federal aid to help areas affected by the storms and flooding.
The funding currently applies to 22 counties, though the list is expected to grow as more damage estimates are accounted for.
"Across our state, these floods have inflicted serious damage and we must all work together to recover," said Sen. Amy Klobuchar. "I am glad the Administration swiftly took action on our request so that our state can receive critical federal disaster relief funds."
"This federal assistance provides our communities with the resources they need to build resilient infrastructure, mitigate damages caused by flooding, provide emergency services, and safeguard against future repetitive flood destruction," said Rep Brad Finstad. "I am grateful that President Biden has granted Governor Walz's request for this much-needed assistance, and I will continue to work with local officials to ensure people in Minnesota's First District have what they need to get back on their feet as quickly as possible."
Also on Friday, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced that teams with the Federal Emergency Management Agency had been deployed across Minnesota to assess damage. Teams — dressed in FEMA uniforms — will be going door-to-door to conduct assessments. They will not ask for personal information from residents.
FEMA Regional Manager Tom Sivak asked that residents take photos of the damage and reach out to insurance as soon as possible.
