Flood — Kittson, Minnesota

2006-04-01 to 2006-04-30 · near Countywide, Kittson, Minnesota

Event narrative

The Red River at Drayton (ND) rose above flood stage around 6 PM CST on April third and remained above flood stage until around 1 PM CST on May 2nd. The river peaked at roughly 42.90 feet around 11 PM CST on April 10th. Unofficially, 42.90 feet would be the third highest modern-day river stage recorded. The Red River at Pembina (ND) rose above flood stage around 5 AM CST on April 5th and remained above flood stage until around 2 AM CST on May 3rd. The river peaked at roughly 51.45 feet around 8 PM CST on April 14th, unofficially the 3rd highest modern-day river stage recorded. The Red River spread well out of it banks (8 miles wide in spots) from around Oslo (MN) northward, essentially becoming a lake. Overland flooding also occurred in addition to the river flooding, with many roads around the county closed due to flooding. The Red River bridges at Drayton, Joliette, and Pembina were also closed during the flood. The border crossing at Noyes was also closed. At Lake Bronson State Park, one campsite was closed due to flooding. Several Coast Guard units were brought in to assist residents with emergencies through the use of airboats and helicopters. Kittson County received a Presidential Disaster Declaration for damages caused by spring flooding.In summary, the total public and private flood losses experienced within the Red River of the North basin through late March and April 2006 were likely in excess of $20 million. This includes the following amounts. For Minnesota state and local infrastructure (this total includes the damages listed for each county), $8.5 million. For North Dakota state and local infrastructure (this total includes the damages listed for each county), $8 million. For Federal agencies (USACE, USGS, and USCG), $1.5 million. For the transportation industry costs due to traffic diversions caused by prolonged road and bridge closures, $1.5 million. For personal property losses due to floodwaters surrounding more than 500 individual farmsteads and rural homesteads, $1.0 million.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5502359. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.