Flood in Dodge County, Minnesota

Rivers, creeks, and streams as well as low-lying areas throughout the county were flooded due to very heavy rainfall. At least 20 roads were closed across the county, while a few bridges were damaged and needed reconstruction. Specific road closures included State Highway 56, State Highway 24 as the Middle Fork of the Zumbro River flooded, and County Road 7. One home was destroyed, 4 others had major damage, and 57 others reported minor damage.

A stationary front set up across southern Minnesota on the evening of September 22nd. As an unusually moist air mass flowed over this boundary, heavy rain developed and fell repeatedly across the area during the evening and overnight hours. Soils were abnormally wet for this time of year, therefore the extreme rainfall amounts that fell caused widespread significant river flooding and flash flooding. Infrastructure was greatly affected with millions of dollars of damage, while private properties were also heavily damaged. Dodge, Olmsted, Wabasha, Winona, and Mower counties were included in federal disaster declarations (FEMA-1941-DR).