KAXE
PublishedJune 18, 2024 at 6:33 PM CDT
Read an updated story here.
Local News
Road closures across Northland as rivers rage and flooding persists
Nearly 8 inches of rain fell June 18, 2024, near Tower, Minnesota, with numerous other locations seeing in excess of 5 inches.
DULUTH — Several areas of Northern Minnesota are under flash flood warnings Tuesday night, June 18, after some communities saw 4 to 6-plus inches of rainfall in a six-hour period and rain continues to fall.
The National Weather Service in Duluth reported the area from Cook to Tower and north, including around Lake Vermilion. As of 6 p.m., the weather service upgraded the flash flood warning for this area to "considerable" flooding, noting several state highways are underwater and street flooding is extensive.
Hibbing-Flooding.mp4
Video courtesy Donna Maxie via "Alerting the citizens of the Iron Range" Facebook group
The Minnesota Department of Transportation reported water over the road on Highway 169 in Hibbing with a detour in effect. The city of Hibbing has already broken its rainfall record for June 18, with heavy rain continuing to fall, according to the weather service. City streets there are reportedly flooded with a least a foot of water reaching up to people's front steps.
Contributed
/
National Weather Service
Authorities remind the public that they should not attempt to travel in these areas unless they are fleeing from flooding. Do not attempt to cross flooded roads, especially if water is fast-moving. It may be especially dangerous tonight as new areas of flooding may develop as rivers and streams rise.
"Please do not put our first responders lives at risk," the weather service stated.
Contributed
/
MnDOT
Severe thunderstorms prompted several weather warnings Tuesday afternoon, including tornado warnings near Ely and between Deer River and Grand Rapids. National Weather Service meteorologist Ketzel Levens in the Duluth office reported seeing a water spout over Lake Superior near Tofte on the Bluefin Bay WaveCam.
Local authorities in the area of Kelsey and Cotton in St. Louis County also reported a possible tornado touchdown in the area.
And on the eastern shores of Leech Lake, hundreds of Lake Country Power customers were without electricity Tuesday afternoon, with tree damage reported in the area. As of 6:45 p.m., nearly 1,000 customers across all of Lake Country Power's territory were experiencing an outage.
Crow Wing Power reported about 100 customers did not have power on Lower Hay Lake on the Whitefish Chain in Crow Wing County. This is almost the exact area hit by a tornado last week.
More from KAXE
-
June 22, 2024: Forest Service urges caution for Boundary Waters canoeists
Megan Buffington
Plus: Brainerd lakes area law enforcement asks boaters to slow down and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and Chippewa National Forest agree on land to transfer.
-
Larissa Donovan
/
KAXE
City council supports resolution to rebuild Bemidji's Red Pine Estates
Larissa Donovan
The low-income Red Pine tenants, all elderly or disabled, were given very little notice to vacate in June 2023 after building inspectors found structural issues.
-
Megan Buffington
/
KAXE
Biwabik water line to Giants Ridge severed, road closures continue
Megan Buffington
A washout severed the water line connecting northwestern Biwabik with the rest of the city, affecting 200 properties. St. Louis County road closures and repairs are ongoing.
-
June 21, 2024: County officials declare local emergency as floodwaters rise
Chelsey Perkins
Plus: Brainerd passes cannabis ordinances; and Minnesota officials tout automatic voter registration numbers.
-
Bemidji becomes new donation site for Minnesota Milk Bank for Babies
According to the organization's website, only a handful of other donation sites exist in Northern Minnesota: in Duluth, Fargo-Moorhead, Wadena and Roseau.
-
Larissa Donovan
/
KAXE
Bemidji LGBTQ+ activist talks Two-Spirit history during Pride Month
Larissa Donovan
Arnold Dahl-Wooley, 53, advocates for Two-Spirit visibility and acceptance in Northern Minnesota. He is a Leech Lake Band member who owns and operates a resort in Bena.
-
Contributed
/
National Weather Service-Duluth
County officials declare local emergency as floodwaters keep rising
Megan Buffington
The most severe flooding occurred in the central and northern parts of St. Louis County, including Hibbing, Chisholm, Virginia, Biwabik, Ely and Cook.
-
June 20, 2024: Flash flooding wreaks havoc, washes out roads in Northland
Chelsey Perkins
Plus: Itasca County selects its next county attorney; and Bemidji adds a milk donation site for premature and medically fragile infants.
-
June 19, 2024: Sheriff says Cook County Pride bomb threat originated in Russia
Chelsey Perkins
Plus: Developer seeks tax assistance to rebuild blighted low-income housing in Bemidji; and Red Lake Inc. participates in the first-ever trade mission focused solely on Indigenous products.
-
Megan Buffington
/
KAXE
Itasca County Board takes 2nd swing at selecting new county attorney
Megan Buffington
The Itasca County Board unanimously approved the appointment of Assistant County Attorney Jacob Fauchald at its Tuesday, June 18, work session.
