Flash Flood — Wabasha, Minnesota

2007-08-18 to 2007-08-19 · near Elgin, Wabasha, Minnesota

Event narrative

Flash flooding quickly hit area creeks, even into the Millville, Plainview, and Zumbro Falls area. Several roads were closed as flood waters peaked overnight including damage to some businesses and homes. A few mudslides hit County Roads 2 and 11, among other areas, including a huge boulder that washed on to a road at the start of the flooding. At least 44 families were impacted in Elgin with lower numbers in other communities.

Wider weather episode

A warm front lifting northward into Iowa triggered round after round of thunderstorms with excessive rainfall across southeast Minnesota during the evening and overnight hours of August 18-19. This was after rain had fallen earlier in the day. Total rainfall amounts of 10 to 15 inches were common, which produced widespread and significant flash flooding. An official rainfall total of 15.1 inches near Hokah (Houston County) established an all-time 24 hour rainfall record for the state of Minnesota. Other rainfall totals, which were unofficial readings, included 17.00 and 14.00 inches respectively in Witoka and Utica (Winona County). Numerous roads and bridges were washed out, houses collapsed due to mudslides and hundreds of homes had flooded basements. Law enforcement and fire department officials reported rescuing people from their vehicles, as well as from house tops. There were seven fatalities reported, five in Winona County and two in Houston County. Damage attributed to the heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding was estimated to be in the millions of dollars. Fillmore, Houston, Olmsted, Wabasha and Winona counties were declared federal disaster areas.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (44.1300, -92.2500)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 50203. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.