Event Synopsis
For the second time in a week, southeast Minnesota was hit by flooding rains. The weather pattern was eerily similar to the flooding event of June 7-8. This involved another strong area of low pressure over the upper midwest, and set the stage for severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding rains. Multiple tornadoes touched down in southern Minnesota, but damage was relatively light. The rains were the heaviest over Ortonville in Big Stone County and especially over south eastern Minnesota in the Austin area. The highest 24-hour total ending on the morning of June 12 was 4.25 inches at Lansing in Mower County about five miles north of Austin. Two day totals were between five and six inches over eastern Freeborn and western Mower County.
The heavy rains fell over already saturated ground in southeast Minnesota. By shortly after dark on June 11th, manhole covers were forced up due to the water pressure. Water was over many roads and cars were submerged in Austin. By the wee hours of the morning on June 12, Interstate 90 was closed in Austin due to floodwaters covering the interstate. Later that same day, residents of Austin were sandbagging to protect parts of the town due to rising creeks. One man died early on June 12th when he drove into deep water in a washed out spot on County Road 34 in Freeborn County. One person had to be rescued from a second car that plunged into the water.
Tornadoes
Below are local storm reports and public information statements courtesy the National Weather Service.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1141 PM CDT WED JUN 11 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0728 PM TORNADO 2 S SPRINGFIELD 44.21N 94.98W
06/11/2008 BROWN MN TRAINED SPOTTER
TORNADO REPORTED JUST SOUTH OF SPRINGFIELD ON GROUND
0732 PM TORNADO 5 SW SLEEPY EYE 44.25N 94.80W
06/11/2008 BROWN MN TRAINED SPOTTER
TORNADO REPORTED ON GROUND NEAR SLEEPY EYE
0800 PM HAIL 3 N HOLMES 45.88N 95.54W
06/11/2008 M1.00 INCH DOUGLAS MN LAW ENFORCEMENT
0839 PM TORNADO 5 SW WINTHROP 44.49N 94.44W
06/11/2008 SIBLEY MN LAW ENFORCEMENT
2 TOUCHDOWNS AT HWY 8 AND CR 53
0849 PM HAIL NORWOOD/YOUNG AMERICA 44.78N 93.92W
06/11/2008 M0.88 INCH CARVER MN LAW ENFORCEMENT
0906 PM TORNADO 3 E GAYLORD 44.55N 94.16W
06/11/2008 SIBLEY MN NWS EMPLOYEE
JUST N OF HWY 5.
0908 PM TORNADO 2 N GAYLORD 44.58N 94.22W
06/11/2008 SIBLEY MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0926 PM TSTM WND DMG HAMBURG 44.73N 93.96W
06/11/2008 CARVER MN TRAINED SPOTTER
6 INCH DIAMETER BRANCHES DOWN.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
330 AM CDT THU JUN 12 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0951 PM TSTM WND GST 2 W WEST CONCORD 44.15N 92.94W
06/11/2008 E60.00 MPH DODGE MN LAW ENFORCEMENT
1123 PM FLOOD AUSTIN 43.67N 92.97W
06/11/2008 MOWER MN LAW ENFORCEMENT
STREET FLOODING AND MANHOLES BLOWING UP IN TOWN.
1201 AM HEAVY RAIN AUSTIN 43.67N 92.97W
06/12/2008 M2.30 INCH MOWER MN BROADCAST MEDIA
WATER OVER MANY ROADS. LAW ENFORCEMENT TALKING ABOUT
CLOSING INTERSTATE 90 AS WATER RISES.
1211 AM FLOOD AUSTIN 43.67N 92.97W
06/12/2008 MOWER MN BROADCAST MEDIA
SECTION OF INTERSTATE 90 CLOSED BETWEEN 11TH DRIVE TO 6TH
STREET NW.
1230 AM FLASH FLOOD AUSTIN 43.67N 92.97W
06/12/2008 MOWER MN LAW ENFORCEMENT
FLOODING ALL OVER CITY WITH CARS GETTING SUBMERGED AND
RESCUES TAKING PLACE. SOME ROADS IN COUNTY ALSO BECOMING
FLOODED.
0101 AM HEAVY RAIN AUSTIN 43.67N 92.97W
06/12/2008 M2.70 INCH MOWER MN BROADCAST MEDIA
COURTESY OF KAAL TELEVISION.
0120 AM FLOOD 2 NE WEST CONCORD 44.17N 92.87W
06/12/2008 DODGE MN EMERGENCY MNGR
SECTIONS OF HIGHWAY 24 CLOSED BETWEEN 120TH AVENUE AND
150TH AVENUE DUE TO HIGH WATER FROM THE MIDDLE FORK OF
THE ZUMBRO RIVER.
0248 AM FLOOD GRAND MEADOW 43.71N 92.57W
06/12/2008 MOWER MN CO-OP OBSERVER
1.5 INCHES OF RAIN WITH SOME ROADS IN TOWN FLOODED.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
1040 AM CDT THU JUN 12 2008
...24 RAINFALL TOTALS ACROSS THE AREA...
LOCATION RAINFALL TIME LAT/LON
MINNESOTA
...DODGE COUNTY...
DODGE CENTER 2.60 0700 AM 44.04N 92.88W
...FILLMORE COUNTY...
HARMONY 1.67 0700 AM 43.55N 92.01W
RUSHFORD 1.42 0700 AM 43.81N 91.75W
PRESTON 1.41 0700 AM 43.67N 92.07W
LANESBORO 1.26 0700 AM 43.72N 91.97W
HIGHLAND 2SE 1.12 0700 AM 43.65N 91.84W
PRESTON AWOS 1.10 0700 AM 43.68N 92.18W
SPRING VALLEY 1.04 0700 AM 43.69N 92.39W
...HOUSTON COUNTY...
HOKAH 4NW 1.54 0900 AM
CALEDONIA 6S 1.23 0700 AM 43.55N 91.51W
SPRING GROVE 4N 1.07 0700 AM 43.61N 91.62W
LA CRESCENT 1NNW 1.05 0700 AM 43.83N 91.31W
...MOWER COUNTY...
LANSING 4.25 0700 AM 43.75N 92.95W
AUSTIN WWTP 3.68 0800 AM
AUSTIN - KAAL TV 3.23 0700 AM 43.67N 92.95W
AUSTIN AWOS 1.61 0700 AM 43.67N 92.93W
...OLMSTED COUNTY...
ROCHESTER AP 2NE 3.52 0700 AM 43.93N 92.48W
ROCHESTER - CASCADE CREEK 2.56 0700 AM 44.03N 92.48W
ROCHESTER - SILVER CREEK 2.52 0700 AM 44.03N 92.42W
ROCHESTER - BEAR CREEK 2.47 0700 AM 43.92N 92.48W
ROCHESTER BELTLINE 2.35 0700 AM 43.91N 92.50W
ELGIN 2SSW 1.93 0700 AM 44.10N 92.27W
DOVER 2NE 1.81 0700 AM 44.01N 92.11W
WHITEWATER STATE PARK 3SW 1.52 0700 AM 44.05N 92.05W
...WABASHA COUNTY...
LAKE CITY 2.26 0700 AM 44.43N 92.28W
WABASHA 1.84 0700 AM 44.39N 92.05W
ZUMBRO FALLS 1.82 0700 AM 44.29N 92.42W
LAKE CITY 1.67 0700 AM 44.45N 92.26W
...WINONA COUNTY...
DAKOTA 5NW 2.00 0700 AM
ALTURA 5W 1.85 0800 AM
STOCKTON 2N 1.50 0700 AM
MINNESOTA CITY DAM 5 1.49 0700 AM 44.16N 91.81W
WINONA DAM 5A 1.42 0700 AM 44.09N 91.67W
DAKOTA 1.24 0700 AM 43.92N 91.37W
WINONA AWOS 0.85 0700 AM 44.08N 91.70W
LA CRESCENT DAM 7 0.83 0700 AM 43.87N 91.31W
OBSERVATIONS ARE COLLECTED FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES WITH VARYING
EQUIPMENT AND EXPOSURE. NOT ALL DATA LISTED IS CONSIDERED OFFICIAL.
FOR THIS...AND A WEALTH OF OTHER RIVER AND WEATHER INFORMATION...
VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/LACROSSE