DULUTH โ Twelve years ago this week, this hillside town was hit by a catastrophic flood. On Tuesday, creeks and streams overflowed their banks once again, creating temporary rivers through neighborhoods and flooding tunnels on Interstate 35 as about 3 inches of rain fell in just a few hours.
but it seems City Efforts Boosted by Millions in Humanitarian Aid helped Duluth escape major damage caused by unusually heavy rains.
Parts of the Iron Range and North Shore didn't fare as well, with more than 7 inches of rain washing away roads, toppling trees and forming waterfall walls from rock ledges along the highway. 61.
"It was the only time I saw that," said Chuck Olsen, a resident of Tofte, Minnesota, who drove through debris and rushing water on the highway. 61 returning home from Grand Marais. Sporadic, pop-up waterfalls are common in the spring, but the roadside cliffs "were all waterfalls," he said.
Elsewhere, a tree fell on a boy camping in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness; a tornado touched down near Cotton, Minnesota; and a funnel-shaped waterspout reportedly formed in Lake Superior. Several northern Minnesota cities, including Hibbing and Ely, suffered flash flooding and twisted roads.
John Keefover of Duluth lives in a building in the East Hillside neighborhood near Brewery Creek, which runs partially underground on its way to Lake Superior. He captured on video the powerful overflow of a huge nearby sewer, pushing the water through the neighboring yard, over the street and down a flight of stairs, eventually washing out a section of the sidewalk. It's the second time he's seen the sewer swell in 10 months.
"Everything is flowing toward us," he said, noting that a foot of water had collected in the basement of his building. "Hopefully the city will take a closer look at this sewer. It's pretty alarming."
State, federal and city money helped replace and, in some cases, improve sewers, pipes and storm tunnels destroyed after the 2012 flood. The city bought some houses built over underground streams so they could not be used again and Alternative flood roads were built.
But Duluth's unusual topography and its 60 streams mean vulnerabilities remain, and the city attacks them however it can. Inlets to streams flowing underground are checked for blockages, and robust stormwater retention plans in new developments are key, city officials have said.
Mayor Roger Reinert did not respond to an interview request Wednesday, but said in a statement that the measures the city took after the 2012 flood "have served us well."
Duluth's minor damage includes dislodged sewer holes, loose stretches of road and clogged trails.
On Tuesday, the region 20 miles up the coast from Two Harbors, Minnesota, had the most rain. Woody Unruh of the National Weather Service in Duluth called it a "rare event" and said the storm was similar in magnitude to 2012 in some areas.
He said the Weather Service has reports of standing water a foot deep in the inland Arrowhead region, and the swing bridge at High Falls on the Baptism River in Tettegouche State Park was destroyed, after first being damaged in a storm of 2022. The river has reached major flood stage and some homes in Finland, Minnesota, have flooded, Unruh said.
The Vermilion River at Crane Lake and the Kawishiwi River near Ely are expected to crest in the coming days.
Major highways in northern Minnesota are partially closed due to landslides, including the highway. 1 east of Ely and west of Tower, Hwy. 169 south of Tower and Hwy. 61 at Taconite Harbor. There, one lane is closed and a bypass has been installed along the busy road. St. Louis County suffered the most damage on its northern edge and officials expect to declare it a disaster.
The Superior National Forest experienced flash flooding and severe thunderstorms that caused damage to the 3 million-acre forest, and assessments are underway. The Forest Service will be contacting those with camping or BWCAW reservations over the next few days.
Forest officials said mudslides have closed Trout Lake transportation, north of Tower, from Lake Vermilion to the BWCAW, and the road will need repair.
And the rain hasn't ended. The region has a brief respite before more arrive this weekend. Saturated ground means more flooding is expected in low-lying areas.
Grandma's Marathon officials are closely watching the weather ahead of the upcoming events. A post on Facebook asked runners to prepare for wet, cool conditions and to expect more updates later this week. A Grandma official told the Star Tribune that the current weather has not affected the Two Harbors race course nor does it plan to bus runners to their marathon and half-marathon starts on Saturday.
Star Tribune Outdoors Editor Bob Timmons contributed to this story.
