Southern Minnesota flooding traps people in homes, closes roads

Some southern Minnesota residents were trapped in their homes after severe storms caused flooding in the area on Wednesday, authorities said.

The Mower County Sheriff's Office said it responded to several such calls in the towns of Adams and Leroy, and "all people and pets were assisted to safety unharmed."

Austin, Minnesota, northwest of Adams and Leroy, saw Interstate 90 and several other roads close due to flooding. At one point Wednesday evening, the city's police department said "basically all streets" were flooded and advised residents not to travel. By Thursday morning, all roads had reopened, but the department urged drivers to "still be cautious" as a flood warning remains in place.

The sheriff's office said, in addition to the flooding, the county sustained widespread storm damage. Officials will assess the damage on Thursday and Friday. Residents affected by the storms can fill out an online damage report, and resources will be made available to those in need, the sheriff's office said.

WCCO Meteorologist Joseph Dames said parts of southern Minnesota saw between 2 and 6 inches of rain over a 24-hour period.

Northern Minnesota, meanwhile, continues to clean up after an EF-2 tornado hit near Detroit Lakes earlier this week.

The forecast looks dry for the next several days as high temperatures will climb north of 90.