Stillwater seeks federal help as it prepares for potentially historic flooding
STILLWATER, Minn. -- All that snow from our wild winter is finally melting – but as the temperatures rise, so do water levels.
It's posing a flood threat for river cities across the state and Stillwater is at risk for potential historic flooding.
Wednesday morning, Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith joined local officials in Stillwater to hear about their flood prevention plan and access the situation.
"One of the things we do well in Minnesota is be prepared," Klobuchar said.
Stillwater has been bracing for impact for weeks now. With the help of hundreds of volunteers, the city has created a sandbag levee, in addition to a temporary berm along the waterfront that will help stop the rising river from seeping into downtown.
READ MORE: 2,220-foot berm being built in Stillwater as river levels start to rise
"Most of the major instances happened in the last few decades," Klobuchar said.
"That's the impact of climate change. The way snowmelts and how much snow we get and how much water there is. The need to mitigate that impact is really intense," Smith said.
This could be the worst flooding the river city has seen in 22 years. Historically, the city sees about an 11% risk of major flooding. This year, though, that risk sits at 81%. By early next week, the St. Croix River is expected to rise by 10 feet.
"We are ready. more than ready to respond. We got a quick response from FEMA. In Minnesota. FEMA is a good four-letter word in our state. If it happens we are ready," Klobuchar said.
Despite the major flood risk in Stillwater, city and state leaders say the city is still open for business.
"This is an amazing city. I love coming here and I want everyone to think that they should come to Stillwater even though there's this big berm here," Smith said.
If you visit Stillwater in the next few weeks, be aware of trail, road and parking lot closures.
