St. Paul declares state of local emergency in response to Mississippi River flooding

Frederick Melo, Pioneer Press
Updated ·4 min read
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In response to Mississippi River flooding, the St. Paul City Council voted Wednesday to affirm Mayor Melvin Carter’s declaration of a state of local emergency.

It’s a largely procedural legal maneuver that allows the city to apply for county, state and federal disaster relief as it becomes available. The mayor’s declaration, which is retroactive to Monday, is effective for 30 days.

Rick Schute, the city’s director of emergency management, informed the council that the most recent estimates from the National Weather Service call for the Mississippi River in downtown St. Paul to crest at 20.8 feet on Saturday morning, which would be well within the range of the top 10 historic crests and the biggest local flood even since 2001.

The river surpassed the major flood stage of 17 feet late Tuesday afternoon and 18 feet on Wednesday afternoon, leaving water engulfing the area around the Wigington Pavilion at Harriet Island Regional Park and creeping toward the park’s largest playground. The riverside Shepard/Warner roads also began to take on water.

Excessive rainfall

Excessive rainfall from multiple storms have turned a particularly rainy spring and early summer into cause for alarm in many river communities throughout Minnesota and Iowa — including the partial failure of the Rapidan Dam outside Mankato — but the visible impact to date in St. Paul has been mostly scenic or traffic-related, thanks to decades of floodproofing measures in the city.

The city closed Barge Channel Road on Wednesday morning, the latest in a series of street closures and partial street closures that began with the closing of 3 miles of Shepard/Warner roads on Sunday evening.

Still, after the crest, the city can expect receding waters to reveal “public and private property damage as a result of rising water levels, saturated soil and increased runoff,” reads the emergency declaration, and more rain is forecast next week.

The Metropolitan Council and Metropolitan Airports Commission have also had to roll out their routine flood-related precautions at their riverfront facilities, including Holman Field, the MAC’s downtown St. Paul airport.

More information, including a live river flood cam, is available online at StPaul.gov/flood.

Valleyfair closes rides due to flooding

Meanwhile, flooding from the Minnesota River has resulted in three rides — the Excalibur, Thunder Canyon and Renegade — at Valleyfair being shut down.

Parking at the Shakopee amusement park also is impacted by flooding. So customers can consider:

• The Canterbury Park Overflow Lot will be open and MVTA buses will be provided from 9 a.m. until park close. Buses are ADA compliant, will run every 15-20 minutes, and are free of charge. Guests must get on the buses that have VALLEYFAIR on their digital header.

• MVTA’s Southbridge Crossings Park & Ride and Eagle Creek Park & Ride Stations. Buses from these stations to the park will be provided to Valleyfair guests from 9 a.m. until park close. The buses are ADA compliant, will run every 15 to 20 minutes, and are free of charge. Guests must get on the buses that have VALLEYFAIR on their digital header.

• At the Valleyfair overflow parking lot, parking is limited to the unpaved, grassy area behind the parking lot. Only four-wheel drive vehicles with adequate clearance are allowed to use this lot. Customers will be guided into the lot and then directed where to park. This parking area is very limited and is not wheelchair accessible.

• Those using ride-share services, private buses or who need to be picked up or dropped off can enter through the 1 Valley Park Drive entrance and will be directed to turn right onto the county service road.

Parking at all locations and shuttle buses are free to guests. For more information, go to tinyurl.com/3rwjedpd.

The St. Croix River at Stillwater

The St. Croix River continues to rise slowly.

The river was at 686.1 feet in Stillwater on Wednesday afternoon; minor flood stage is 687 feet. The river is set to crest in Stillwater at 7 a.m. Sunday at 688 feet, which is just under moderate flood stage, according to the National Weather Service.

Mary Divine contributed to this report.

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