
846 
WGUS73 KDLH 201200
FFSDLH

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
700 AM CDT WED JUN 20 2012

MNC031-075-137-202130-
/O.CON.KDLH.FF.W.0008.000000T0000Z-120620T2130Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
LAKE MN-COOK MN-ST. LOUIS MN-
700 AM CDT WED JUN 20 2012

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEASTERN ST.
LOUIS...COOK AND SOUTHERN LAKE COUNTIES UNTIL 430 PM CDT WEDNESDAY...

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

AT 653 AM CDT...THE RAIN HAD LET UP FOR A TIME ACROSS THE DULUTH 
AREA AND ALONG THE NORTH SHORE...BUT ANOTHER AREA OF HEAVY RAIN WILL 
MOVE INTO THE AREA AGAIN THIS MORNING. WEATHER OBSERVERS REPORTED 
NEARLY 8 INCHES OF RAIN IN THE DENFELD AREA OF WESTERN DULUTH.

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 NEARLY 8 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.

RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO 
OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLASH 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.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS
SAFELY.

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.

&&

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