The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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  • The overflowing Minnesota River flows around a pair of signs that state the obvious off of Highway 93 south of Henderson. John Cross

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  • Mankato Park Department workers Jody Johnson (left) and Ryan Eliason haul a train of picnic tables from lower Sibley Park to higher ground Tuesday as a precaution against rising water. Park workers moved items that could be swept away from there and Land of Memories Park in the event water rises higher than expected. John Cross

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  • Water rushes just inches below the girders of a bridge over the Rush River on Highway 93 south of Henderson Tuesday as Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Waters Division workers measure flow rates. Water flowing across the road prompted the closure of the highway. John Cross

    Flood1

  • Flood water from the nearby Rush River flows across Highway 93 south of Henderson Tuesday. The rising water prompted officials to close the section of highway between Le Sueur and Henderson to traffic. John Cross

    Flood4

March 16, 2010

Warnings swell as waters flow

Henderson official: Nothing damaging is happening

By Brian Ojanpa The Free Press

As area river levels continue to rise amid flood warnings this week, Lon Berberich is taking it all in with the wry perspective of someone who’s seen this overwrought scenario before.

Even before Highway 93 leading into town closed Tuesday — as it has in numerous springs past — the city’s clerk/treasurer was busy directing TV news crews to the town’s emergency management maven Tom Phillips.

Bottom line: Henderson is going with the flow — literally, since a Minnesota River ice jam helpfully broke up Monday.

“Everything is flowing and going through on the river,” said Berberich, noting that although highway arteries into the city flooded frequently in the 1990s, this year marks the first road flood closure since 2001.

“For now we have a laissez faire attitude. Nothing damaging is happening, even though the news media sometimes makes it sound like it is,” Berberich said.

Overflow from the Rush River is affecting Highway 93, which accommodates traffic into Henderson off Highway 169. Another road into the city, Highway 19 affected by the Minnesota River, remains open.

Berberich said all the publicity has resulted in calls from people wanting to know how they can help with “evacuations.” (There aren’t any.)

And contrary to what one might think, Henderson businesses don’t suffer mightily when alternate routes to and from town must be implemented.

In fact, Berberich said, between the news crews and the gawkers, a local cafe actually gets an uptick in patronage.

Meantime in other locales, the Minnesota River at St. Peter was holding fairly stable at 749.24 feet above sea level as of Tuesday morning (756 feet is crest stage).

In New Ulm the Minnesota River rose nearly 3 feet from Monday to Tuesday and stood at 799 feet Tuesday. Although that’s above its 794-foot crest stage, no homes are imperiled, Water Dept. Assistant Supervisor Jeff Beilke said.

His main concern is a yet-stationary ice cap on the river.

“If that breaks up and flows freely, we’re all right. If it jams up, it’s a different story. We’re in limbo until the ice breaks up and moves.”

The National Weather Service predicts minor flooding of the Minnesota and Cottonwood rivers at New Ulm as those and other area rivers continue to rise through the week.

In Mankato, flooding has closed some trails — the Kiwanis (south to Highway 14) and the Main (south to Sibley Park-Ott Cabin).

The entrance at Mound and Sibley Parkway and Land of Memories Park are also closed until further notice.

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