Flooding worries ebb as Minnesota tallies tornado damage

Updated 4:35 p.m. | Posted 10:34 a.m.

At least four tornadoes tore across west-central Minnesota Monday, although only one minor injury was reported and flooding from the storms is turning out to be not as bad as authorities initially feared.

The National Weather Service Tuesday dispatched damage survey teams across west-central Minnesota to tally the destruction triggered by the thunderstorms and tornadoes.

Watkins and Litchfield were among the hardest hit. By Tuesday afternoon, the weather service estimated the Watkins tornado was 2 miles long and up to 600 feet wide with maximum winds of 125 mph. The Litchfield tornado ran for 1 mile, maxing out at 150 feet wide and 115 mph.

Flooding was an obvious worry on Tuesday given that some 6 to 9 inches of rain fell overnight in a huge swath from the Brainerd Lakes area in central Minnesota east into northern Wisconsin.

Weather service meteorologists had posted messages Monday night warning of "potentially catastrophic flooding" and cautioning people to stay clear of flooded roads and streams.

In the daylight however, local officials found flood damage less than expected.

Crow Wing County Emergency Manager John Bowen said his area weathered the storm with little damage. Two county roads were closed by flash flooding. One, he said is washed out, but will be repaired and opened by the end of the day.

"We did get a lot of rain in a short amount of time," he said. "We got lucky. All our main roads are open."

Initial warnings predicted some of the worst flooding in Aitkin, with the Mississippi River cresting its banks and nearly inundating the city's sewage treatment plant by morning. Now it appears the river is rising more slowly than expected.

The city is dry at the moment, except for some standing water in ditches, said Aitkin County Deputy Emergency Manager Karla White.

Outside the city limits, she said parts of Minnesota Highway 47 are underwater, as well as a handful of county roads.

In Hinckley, more than 9 inches of rain flooded roads overnight, but all but one city street and the city park are dry and mostly unharmed, said Kyle Morrell, the city manager.

There are still some areas of concern.

The small town of Moose Lake, west of Duluth was inundated overnight. Most roads were closed under deep water.

Those roads have drained and reopened. The sun is shining, but the worst flooding is yet to come, said city administrator Tim Peterson.

"The weather is really deceiving right now," he said.

Moose Lake itself is rising quickly. The local campground is already under water, and in about 24 hours the lake could flood dozens of homes lining the shore.

While the state is prepared to help cities with flood and tornado fallout, local officials in Minnesota have not requested state assistance after Monday night's storms, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety said Tuesday afternoon.