Storm Events Database

Storm Events Database

Event Details

Event Flood
-- Flood Cause Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
State MINNESOTA
County/Area SIBLEY
WFO MPX
Begin Date 03/21/2011 18:00:00 CST-6
Begin Range 6
Begin Azimuth SE
Begin Location GREEN ISLE
Begin Lat/Lon 44.62/-93.92
End Date 03/31/2011 18:00:00 CST-6
End Range 8
End Azimuth NNE
End Location HENDERSON
End Lat/Lon 44.64/-93.84
Deaths Direct/Indirect 0/0 (fatality details below, when available...)
Injuries Direct/Indirect 0/0
Property Damage 0.00K
Crop Damage 0.00K
Episode Narrative Due to a very wet fall, and a deep snow pack by mid March, when temperatures began to rise and melt the snow, area streams, creeks and eventually rivers rose to minor, moderate, and major stage levels.

During the onset of the snow melt, area streams, creeks and rivers had numerous ice jams that caused flooding across many areas in southern Minnesota. Road closures due to creeks and streams developed as early as Monday March 21st, and quickly spread across a large portion of southern Minnesota. By March 23rd, several areas along the Minnesota River between the southwestern suburbs of the Twin Cities, to Mankato started to close. This included Highways 93 and 19 near Henderson, and Scott County Road 9 near Jordan. In addition, Lac Qui Parle, Yellow Medicine, Brown, Watonwan, Blue Earth, Sibley, Scott and McLeod Counties had several county roads closed or impassable by Wednesday March 23rd.

A large storm system on March 22nd and 23rd dropped on average one half to 1.50 inches of liquid precipitation across the area. However, as much colder air began to move south on the 23rd, all of the precipitation switched over to snow.

By Wednesday, March 23rd, major river crossings in the Twin Cities began to close due to the flood waters; this included Highway 41 near Chaska and Highway 101 near Shakopee. In addition, more county roads started to close across southern Minnesota, and Highway 65 in Albert Lea shut down.

The last week of March, most of the Minnesota River and its tributaries had their first crests. However, a cold spell the last week of March, caused the rivers to fall or hold steady as the runoff from the snow melt abated.

Although ice jams were reported across the area, one ice jam on the Seven Mile Creek near St. Peter resulted in a fatality on March 22 when a MNDOT worker tried to clear the ice jam and his Backhoe tipped over and fell into the area where Seven Mile Creek flows into the Minnesota River.
Event Narrative Several county roads along the Minnesota River from Henderson, north to the Carver County border were impassable due to Spring snow melt and the associated runoff that continued through the end of March.


All events for this episode:

Location County/Zone St. Date Time T.Z. Type Mag Dth Inj PrD CrD
Totals: 1 0 0.00K 0.00K
HENDERSON SIBLEY CO. MN 03/20/2011 22:00 CST-6 Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
MARIETTA LAC QUI PARLE CO. MN 03/21/2011 18:00 CST-6 Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
SPRING CREEK YELLOW MEDICINE CO. MN 03/21/2011 18:00 CST-6 Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
GREEN ISLE SIBLEY CO. MN 03/21/2011 18:00 CST-6 Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
NORTH STAR NICOLLET CO. MN 03/21/2011 18:00 CST-6 Flood 1 0 0.00K 0.00K
HENDERSON STATION LE SUEUR CO. MN 03/21/2011 18:00 CST-6 Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
ST PATRICK SCOTT CO. MN 03/21/2011 21:00 CST-6 Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
MINNESOTA LAKE BLUE EARTH CO. MN 03/21/2011 21:00 CST-6 Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
SEARLES BROWN CO. MN 03/21/2011 21:00 CST-6 Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
LEWISVILLE WATONWAN CO. MN 03/23/2011 18:00 CST-6 Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
MONTEVIDEO CHIPPEWA CO. MN 03/23/2011 18:00 CST-6 Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
BROWNTON MCLEOD CO. MN 03/23/2011 18:00 CST-6 Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
BLUE EARTH FARIBAULT CO. MN 03/23/2011 18:00 CST-6 Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
ALBERT LEA FREEBORN CO. MN 03/23/2011 18:00 CST-6 Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
NEW GERMANY CARVER CO. MN 03/23/2011 18:00 CST-6 Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
BRIDGEWATER RICE CO. MN 03/23/2011 18:00 CST-6 Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
ST MARY WASECA CO. MN 03/25/2011 18:00 CST-6 Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
DELHI REDWOOD CO. MN 03/25/2011 18:00 CST-6 Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
RENVILLE ARPT RENVILLE CO. MN 03/25/2011 18:00 CST-6 Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
Totals: 1 0 0.00K 0.00K