MANKATO —
Max Griensewic scrambled to the top of a levee berm in Sibley Park Saturday, gazed out over the flooded adjacent Land of Memories Park and made with a quip:
“It’s aptly named Land of Memories — just memories of the land now.”
And then he began clicking away with his point-and-shoot at the Minnesota River’s overflow. He wasn’t alone.
A steady stream of onlookers gawking at the steady stream was the entertainment du jour in Mankato where, thanks to the city’s protective levee system, flood-stage waters have become spectator entertainment.
“I called my mom and said, ‘Will you watch my daughter so I can check out the floodwaters?’” said Kristy Welsch of North Mankato, who was strolling the park with a few friends.
Ordinarily, they would be grilling out in Land of Memories Park on a day like this, she said.
Minnesota State University student Marcus White was emoting like a flood junkie as he soaked in the sights.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in my whole life,” gushed the Toronto native.
He said his swollen-river rubbernecking regimen began last week, when he sought out a vantage point on Lookout Drive’s scenic overlook high above Sibley Park.
Again, he wasn’t the only one.
“You couldn’t find a place to park. There were 15, 20 cars in a space for 10.”
Here are area Minnesota River levels as of midday Saturday:
- Mankato: 25.3 feet, the crest stage that was projected to occur Sunday. Flood stage in Mankato is 22 feet.
- St. Peter: 26.44 feet and seemingly holding steady. Flood stage was reached Friday.
- Henderson: 737.23 feet (above sea level), with crest of 737.7 expected today. Flood stage is 732 feet.
- New Ulm: 803.64 feet, with crest of 804 expected today. Flood stage is 796.
