Flood — Traverse, Minnesota

2023-04-16 to 2023-04-21 · near Graceville Stnly Arp, Traverse, Minnesota

Event narrative

The Mustinka River at Wheaton crested at 94.78 feet on the afternoon of April 17th, or 2.78 feet above flood stage. This high water mainly impacted agricultural lands.

Wider weather episode

The Mustinka River and its tributaries experienced flooding due to the rapid snowmelt in western Minnesota caused by frozen soils and a quick thaw in the second week of April. The area, including Wheaton, saw a significant snow depth of 32 inches on April 6th. As a result, a large amount of snowmelt flowed into the waterways, leading to numerous county and township roads being submerged. To safeguard properties, many communities initiated sandbagging operations.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (45.8600, -96.4800)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1092243. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.