Root River flooding causes evacuations

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The Root River flooded about 75 homes in Fillmore County, leaving many of them with water in their basement. People in both Lanesboro and Preston started returning to their homes yesterday to begin assessing the damage and start the clean up.

In next door Houston County, several campers had to be evacuated.

The Preston City Council has already declared an emergency, and the Fillmore County Commission is scheduled to debate doing the same thing today. Gov. Tim Pawlenty toured the area yesterday. High waters along the entire upper Mississippi delta is also prompting the Corps of Engineers to close the river to barge traffic for a 250 mile stretch.

Locks and dams will close from Fulton, Ill., to Clarksville, Missouri, possibly as early as Thursday.

The Corps of Engineers says the closure could last up to two weeks.