Flood Warning Issued For Portion Of St. Louis River In Northern Minnesota, Moderate Flooding Expected
The National Weather Service in Duluth has issued a flood warning for the St. Louis River. Continued snowmelt this afternoon is expected to cause river levels to rise enough to cause moderate flooding areas.
When the water level reaches 10.5 feet, flooding occurs in low areas near the river, such as Cloquet City Park. When the water level reaches 13 feet, water does encroach on buildings near River Gate Avenue.
The National Weather Service reports that the river level was at 9.8 feet and rising as of 8:30 AM on Thursday, April 13. They expect the river to rise to 12.5 feet on Saturday afternoon and evening which will cause moderate flooding.
They forecast that the level will decrease to below the 10.5 ft flood stage by next Wednesday morning.
They advise motorists to not attempt to drive around barricades or through standing water. Nighttime is the most dangerous when it's harder to recognize water, depth, and the dangers of flooding.
The National Weather Service will issue an update on this flood warning on Friday afternoon. They say this is very similar to the water levels and flooding that occurred in Scanlon in July of 1999.
Record snowfall this year, followed by a very quick intense melt has caused flooding issues across the region. Municipalities have been in emergency mode trying to prevent damage to homes and basements. Sewers have been backing up, and the WLSSD reached its highest flow rate in history.
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