The Mississippi and St. Croix rivers rose just slightly Saturday as flood precautions remained in place and water levels were monitored.
The Mississippi River was at 20.05 feet in St. Paul on Saturday afternoon; major flood stage is 17 feet. The river is set to crest in St. Paul at 7 p.m. Saturday at 20.3 feet, according to the National Weather Service.
The St. Croix River was at 87.76 feet in Stillwater on Saturday afternoon. The river is set to crest in Stillwater at 7 p.m. Saturday at 88 feet, which is moderate flood stage, according to the National Weather Service.
If the Mississippi River crests in downtown St. Paul at 20.4 feet Saturday night, that puts the flood well within the city’s top 10 historic recorded crests, but still almost 6 feet below the record crest of 1965, and unlike more hard-hit areas of the state, immediate impacts to the capital city are largely limited to road closures and a handful of event cancellations.
Lisa Hiebert, a spokesperson for St. Paul Public Works, said most flood precautions are already in place throughout the city. Notably, a three-mile stretch of Shepard/Warner Road has been closed since last Sunday evening, and workers installed a “big bag” levy at Sibley and Jackson streets. If updated forecasts predict a river crest between 21 and 22 feet, Public Works may roll out additional protective measures, she said.
Hiebert noted that the crest is “not a sustained crest” and forecasts call for waters to recede in short order. “Everybody is watching it pretty closely,” Hiebert said. “We’ll really see where things are going on Monday, as things start going back down.”
Related Articles
County buys, demolishes store next to flood-damaged Rapidan Dam before it fell into river
Blue Earth River has come within 10 feet of landmark Rapidan Dam restaurant
Washington County Board to hold Friday emergency meeting amid flood preparations
St. Paul declares state of local emergency in response to Mississippi River flooding
Raging Blue Earth River continues to scour bank, toppling house and entirely bypassing dam
Leave a Reply