
380 
WGUS53 KDLH 201021
FFWDLH
MNC031-075-137-202130-
/O.EXT.KDLH.FF.W.0008.000000T0000Z-120620T2130Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
521 AM CDT WED JUN 20 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DULUTH MN HAS EXTENDED THE

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  COOK COUNTY IN NORTHEAST MINNESOTA...
  SOUTHEASTERN ST. LOUIS COUNTY IN NORTHEAST MINNESOTA...
  SOUTHERN LAKE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST MINNESOTA...

* UNTIL 430 PM CDT WEDNESDAY

* AT 509 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE
  WARNED AREA. WIDESPREAD RAINFALL OF 3 TO 6 INCHES HAD FALLEN
  ACROSS THE NORTH SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR. RADAR ESTIMATES INDICATE
  THAT SOME LOCATIONS NEAR DULUTH MAY HAVE RECEIVED MORE THAN
  6 INCHES OF RAINFALL.

  THIS IS A FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY FOR DULUTH AND THE NORTH SHORE.

* RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO
  OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
  DULUTH...GRAND MARAIS...ADOLPH...ALGER...ARNOLD...BEAVER BAY...
  CASTLE DANGER...CHESTER PARK DULUTH...EAGLE MOUNTAIN...FINLAND...
  FRENCH RIVER...GRAND PORTAGE...HERMANTOWN...HOVLAND...ILLGEN
  CITY...KNIFE RIVER...LAKEWOOD TWP...LARSMONT...LESTER PARK
  DULUTH...LITTLE MARAIS...LUTSEN...MUNGER...MURPHY CITY...PALMERS...
  RICE LAKE TWP...SCHROEDER...SILVER BAY...TACONITE HARBOR...TOFTE
  AND TWO HARBORS.

THE FLOODING CONDITIONS IN DULUTH AND ALONG THE NORTH SHORE OF LAKE 
SUPERIOR CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND 
POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING FLOOD SITUATION. 

EARLY THIS MORNING...MINNESOTA POWER ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WOULD BE 
INCREASING THEIR DISCHARGE INTO THE SAINT LOUIS RIVER FROM THE FOND 
DU LAC DAM. THE DISCHARGE OF 25000 CFS IS HIGHER THAN NORMAL AND 
WILL RESULT IN FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS IN THE FOND DU LAC 
NEIGHBORHOOD ALONG THE SAINT LOUIS RIVER. THE FOND DU LAC DAM IS 
CURRENTLY NOT AT RISK. THIS WARNING IS TO ALERT PEOPLE ALONG THE 
RIVER OF THE POTENTIAL OF FLOODING AND EVACUATIONS HAVE BEEN 
ORDERED. 

THE DULUTH POLICE DEPARTMENT ADVISES NO TRAVEL IN THE CITY. RAINFALL 
OF MORE THAN 6 INCHES IN SPOTS WAS NOTED FROM THE DULUTH AREA AND 
ALONG HIGHWAY 61 OF THE NORTH SHORE. VARIOUS MEDIA OUTLETS AND LAW 
ENFORCEMENT ARE REPORTING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE IN THE CITY OF 
DULUTH...WITH SOME COLLAPSED ROADS AND NUMEROUS ROAD CLOSURES 
THROUGHOUT THE CITY. THE FLOOD APPEARS TO BE REMINISCENT OF THE 
FLOOD OF 1972 AND ONE THAT SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY. THE DULUTH 
NEWS TRIBUNE ONLINE LIVE BLOG HAD REPORTS OF PEOPLE BEING 
RESCUED...VEHICLES FALLING INTO SINKHOLES ON COLLAPSED ROADS AND 
RIVERS AND STREAMS OVERTAKING ROADWAYS. 

WE CANNOT STRESS WHAT A MAJOR THREAT THIS IS FOR THE CITY OF DULUTH 
AND ALONG THE NORTH SHORE. AGING INFRASTRUCTURE WILL ALSO PLAY A 
PART IN THE FLOOD THREAT...ESPECIALLY ON THE HILLSIDE. HIGHWAY 61 
REMAINS CLOSED IN SPOTS WITH WASHOUTS...OVERFLOWING STREAMS AND 
RIVERS...WASHED OUT CULVERTS AND WASHED OUT ROADS. JUST BECAUSE YOU 
MIGHT BE ABLE TO TRAVEL TO A DESTINATION NOW...DOES NOT MEAN YOU 
WILL MAKE IT IN ONE TO TWO HOURS. THIS IS HOW FAST THIS SITUATION 
MAY DETERIORATE AS MORE RAINFALL MOVES IN FROM THE WEST. THERE IS 
THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERAL MORE INCHES OF RAIN TODAY AND THE UTILITY 
SYSTEM AND THE SATURATED GROUND CANNOT TAKE MUCH MORE RAIN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODING. IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED ACT QUICKLY. DO
NOT ENTER THE WATER. TURN AROUND AND MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND TO
ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN
WATER BEGINS RISING.

FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS IMMINENT. IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHERE
YOU ARE RELATIVE TO STREAMS...RIVERS...OR CREEKS WHICH CAN BECOME
KILLERS IN HEAVY RAINS. CAMPERS AND HIKERS SHOULD AVOID STREAMS OR
CREEKS.

DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF FLOOD WATERS. ONLY A FEW INCHES OF
RAPIDLY FLOWING WATER CAN QUICKLY CARRY AWAY YOUR VEHICLE. TURN
AROUND... DONT DROWN.

&&

LAT...LON 4783 8994 4773 9042 4760 9076 4702 9163
      4673 9218 4680 9239 4798 9087 4811 9039
      4812 9018 4808 9000 4800 8989 4804 8977
      4801 8949 4801 8948

$$

PACKINGHAM