Flash Flood in Houston County, Minnesota

3 to 6 inches of rain fell during the night of May 31 into the morning hours of June 1, causing widespread flash flooding. Hardest hit was Spring Valley (Fillmore County), where residents of 25 homes had to be evacuated and people in 3 homes were rescued by boat. The flood was the worst in Spring Valley since 1942. Near Eitzen (Houston County), flood waters washed out a 20 foot wide, 15 foot deep section of county highway 27. Between Dexter and Austin (Mower County), Interstate 90 had to be temporarily closed due to 2 to 3 feet of water across the road. Total property damage was estimated at 4.3 million dollars, with an additional estimate of 1.2 million dollars in damage to crops. As a result, Mower, Fillmore and Houston County were declared federal disaster areas.