Hopefully this Monday is finding our listening area in a state of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Torrential rains that fell over the Southwest part of Minnesota showed so many sides of humanity, this past weekend. Our communities certainly have been put through the gamut of emotional and physical testing. It was heartwarming to see how many people came out to help those in desperate situations. Young and Old helping in ways that made a huge difference. THAT is what it is all about. Communities coming together to work together for a greater cause. Working side by side without hesitation just determination to make sure those that were in need were taken care of.
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Windom City Council will be holding an Emergency Council Meeting at 1pm today in City Council Chambers with top of the agenda business of Declaring a State of Emergency for the City of Windom.
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The Cottonwood County Board of Commissioners will be holding a special meeting this morning at 11:15am in the County Courthouse in Windom to declare a state of emergency for flooding in the County.
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The City of Jackson declared a state of emergency on Saturday Night during the intense rainstorms that caused detrimental flooding.
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Cottonwood County Law Enforcement Center has Red Cross cleanup while supplies last. The kit includes a bucket, hard surface cleaner/degreaser, sponge, work gloves, rubber gloves, mask, 2 broom/mop handles, squeegee, two broom heads, mop head, scrub brush, and trash bags. Requirements to receive a Red Cross Cleanup Kit is to provide only your name, address and a valid phone number. Your information will be shared with the Red Cross, as they will be following up to see if there are other needs.
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The Cottonwood County Emergency Management posted the following release as of Sunday 8:00pm. First and foremost, Cottonwood County Emergency Management Director Paul Johnson, recognized the volunteers and all the donations that have been present this past weekend. Johnson stated, “I’ve heard of sandwiches, grills, meat, other food and drinks being brought in. Everyone doing what they can. Words cannot express how I personally feel about everyone coming out and doing what they can.” Johnson said,
“The biggest and most important update is the crest information.” As of 11am on Sunday Johnson said, the river currently is at 23.94 feet. Crest appears to have happened at 24.66 feet. While water seems to be going down in places, there will be a lot of water coming down the Des Moines in the coming days and weeks. Not only are we concerned about the water at Talcot from Murray County. Heron Lake water also enters the Des Moines at the outlet near Pat’s Grove County Park. Heron Lake levels are still rising as well. The current forecast is for a crest of 24.7 feet on Wednesday. The water will remain very high for many days.” Johnson went onto say, “The second is Cottonwood Lake. Water levels are historic, and I understand many homes are flooded. I’ve been in contact with the DNR and other water hydrologic experts about ways we can bring the lake level down quickly. Unfortunately, there isn’t a quick fix or a sure way to do it. Some have inquired about pumping water into the old gravel pit. It’s been determined to be too risky, as there is a potential to contaminate our city’s drinking water wells. The capacity of the pit would also only bring the lake level down maybe 1 inch, and it could take a week or more to pump that much water. The risks outweigh the benefits. The Cottonwood Lake outlet is flowing the right way, and the DNR has blessed an effort to remove some debris below the Warren Lake dam that may be restricting a little flow. We will be attempting to remove that debris. It is believed with the debris removal the stream may flow a little quicker and any water level rise on Perkins Creek would be negligible.”
According to Johnson, the debris management plan is still in the works, they hope to have more concrete answers very soon. There is a Minnesota Flooding Home Cleanup Hotline you can call if you need assistance with your wet basements. Johnson says there is no guarantees, but you can call and get on their list that number is 218-288-2213.
Johnson went onto say, damage assessment survey plans are also starting, and they are aware there are a lot of homes with water problems, and they are working on finding the best way for everyone to share your issues with them.
A look at travel and hotspots in the area, Johnson stated, Roads are better, but not great. New closure in the county includes CO RD 5 south of 62 to county line. The bridge is going underwater. The east/west mile of CO RD 99 east of CO RD 9 were closed for Sunday night. River Road by Perkins Creek will also remain closed as well as River Road and 15th by Perkins Creek apartments. Do not drive around barricades! Johnson went onto say, the parks mentioned earlier are still closed, no new park closures. A contingency shelter plan remains in place. If you need a place to go, contact cottonwood county dispatch at 507-831-1375.
This will be a long duration of high water on Cottonwood Lake, the Des Moines and Perkins Creek. I know everyone is tired, sore, and possibly frustrated. We all wish we had a quick fix and an easy solution, but there aren’t any. Johnson concluded with “Once again, thank you to everyone who has helped with the response.”
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The city of Windom reminds residents that are using sump pumps to Please NOT dump the water in your household drains. This puts an additional strain on the system. All sump pumps should pump water into the street or into the back yard. If you have questions, please call the city at 507 831-6138. The city of Windom appreciates your cooperation.
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The Windom Area Schools School Board will hold a Work Session Meeting on Monday June 24th at 6:30pm in the Windom City Council Chambers. Agenda items include Robotics Program, Approval of Policies, change of November 11th School Board Meeting, Radon Report, Review of Strategic Plan and School Finance Award. Meetings can be attend in person or viewed live at Media SB22 on YouTube.
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The Mountain Lake Public School School Board will be holding a Special Meeting on Tuesday, June 25th at 5:30pm at the school in Room #101. The topics on the Agenda include Abatement Levy (Parking Lot) and Operating Referendum Planning Session.
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Emergency Management Director Update as of Sunday 11am 6/23/24
The Cottonwood County Emergency Management Director posted the following statement as of Sunday 11am. Thank you again to all of the volunteers we have had. You are all amazing. I’m sure some are very tired and sore, but your contributions to this event have not gone unnoticed. All city and county officials are proud of you all. The river currently is at 23.94 feet. Crest appears to have happened at 24.66 feet. Unfortunately, Murray County water has reached Talcot, and we are seeing water levels rise in and around Talcot Lake. So do not remove your sandbags, because we will likely see a second crest along the river sometime in 24-48 hours. Which is anywhere from Monday to Tuesday. According to Cottonwood County Emergency Management Director, Paul Johnson Rumors of a levee or dam failure in Cottonwood County are completely false. Johnson stated that he also heard rumors about water shutting off which is completely false. Wastewater has reported they are still bypassing, but starting to gain ground on the excess water, which is great news. Still, water conservation is a good thing to keep in mind at this time.
More sand will be brought to the arena. We will keep it open as long as there is a need. A shelter was not opened this past weekend. The contingency shelter plan is still in place, you can call Cottonwood County Dispatch at (507)831-1375 if you need a place to stay for the night. While roads are somewhat improving, some are still closed and will remain closed for quite some time. Do not drive around barricades. You may receive a citation. Island Park, Mayflower Park, Pat’s Grove County Park, and Mountain County Park remain closed. Do not enter them, as it is dangerous and considered trespassing. Johnson went onto say, While we are still focused on response, conversations are starting about recovery. I’m sure many are wondering what to do with wet destroyed belongings. A debris management plan is being developed. Conversations are starting and we will have something in place after our expected second crest. Look for something mid to later this week.
Johnson concluded with they will also be doing a private home/business survey this week. Plans for how that will operate are still in development and will be released along with the debris management plan.
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