River crests, but danger persists

Minnesota crests at 808.3 in New Ulm

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- The Minnesota River crested in New Ulm Monday at 808.3 feet.

It is expected to drop two- tenths of a foot today, nine-tenths Wednesday, and eight-tenths Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

By comparison, the 1997 crest was 811 feet.

The Cottonwood River at New Ulm fell half a foot Monday to 11.9 feet. It is expected to fall to 11.6 today, 11.2 Wednesday, 10.9 Thursday, 10.5 Friday and 9.9 Saturday.

However, frozen sandbags and 8 feet of Minnesota River water are testing the clay berms protecting the east edge of New Ulm.

High water is expected to last up to two or three weeks in some parts of the state, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

The shifting berms, particularly at 18th South and Valley kept New Ulm Street Commissioner Tom Patterson and his crew busy over the weekend and into Monday night in sub-zero wind chills.

Last evening, a portion of the dike began leaking, but city crews quickly repaired the breach with heavy rocks and clay. The leaking water was contained inside a ring dike, which had been constructed earlier in the day.

Monday morning, river water reached South Valley Street through the storm sewer catch basins.

"Sandbags were frozen as hard as rocks, so we couldn't adjust them. We closed the street and made a ring dike around the affected area," Patterson said at a City/PUC Emergency Response Committee meeting Monday at city hall.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers visited New Ulm Monday and noticed dike cracks near a pump on South Valley Street.

"Dike material on the river side started to slump," Patterson said. "It became saturated and slipped down the side in an area with strong current."

Patterson said the only way to stop the slippage was to haul large, 24-inch rock to the ring dike with a loader and replace it with a backhoe. Heavy rocks at the base are intended to reinforce the dikes. Lighter material is placed on top of the heavier stuff to keep them in place.

Patterson had a word of warning to Valley Street residents.

"I'm here to tell you that if you live on Valley Street, don't let anybody sleep in the basement. If you have any valuables in your basement, take them out, and think about putting something in your basement floor drains as a precautionary measure," Patterson said. "We're doing everything we can to stop it. We pinpointed the worst area and are working on it until it is done."

The New Ulm Rescue squad is standing by in water suits in case a water rescue is needed. The New Ulm Fire Department is on site providing lights and pumps. MR Paving and Excavating equipment is also on site.

"Our operators are on the dikes and are at great risk," Patterson said. "We are taking every precaution we can. If anything happens, it should only be property damage."

Mary Ellen Domeier of 1107 S. Front offered space in her home for Valley Street residents that needed storage space or a place to sleep. She asked concerned residents to meet at her house after the city hall meeting.

Police reminded residents to call 911 if unauthorized persons are seen on dikes. An officer said juveniles were caught driving all-terrain vehicles on dikes Sunday night.

"If you see somebody down there, call us," NUPD officer Jerry Losinski said. "We want to get them off of there before we have to fish them out of the other side."

Tonight's New Ulm City Council meeting will include a resolution request to declare the City of New Ulm a disaster area.

Excitement ran high near Courtland Easter Sunday as Joel and Jean Fischer awoke to the sound of falling rain at 4 a.m.

Fischer, who does excavating work, fired up his equipment and began making a dike around his home as the surging Minnesota River rose near the intersection of Brown County Highway 45 and State Highway 68, south of Courtland.

Soon the swollen river swallowed the Fischer driveway, forcing them to use a duck boat to get to the highway approach. They row the boat several hundred feet along a fence line to reach their vehicles, parked along Highway 45.

"We should be OK," Jean Fischer said Monday. "We still have utilities. We made some calls and got lots to help putting plastic over the dike."

The Fischers will stay with relatives in New Ulm if their home becomes uninhabitable.

Four years ago, river water reached the bottom of their floor boards but did not drive them from their home.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation closed U.S. Highway 169 north of St. Peter Monday due to the rising Minnesota River.

The highway was barricaded from Sibley County 8 and State Highway 93 intersection to St. Peter.

Traffic under 7 tons can use Sibley County 8, State Highways 22 and 111 to U.S. 14 at Nicollet. Ten-ton traffic will be directed east to State Highways 19, 13, 60 and U.S. 14.

Other state highways closed in south central Minnesota include: State 19 and 93 from U.S. 169 to Henderson, State 93 from 169 to Le Sueur, State 99 east of St. Peter, State 295 in St. Peter, State 169 from Mankato to St. Peter, and State 22 from Kasota to St. Peter.

Flood reports can be found at www.dot.state.mn.us click on road conditions.