Posted: 8/21/07
Houston mayor ordered evacuation
Sunday as townís levy was threatened
By Tom Murphy
Special for the Argus
A massive rain storm that began Saturday morning threatened the security of Houstonís levee by early evening Sunday. Houston Mayor Connie Edwards and the Houston City Council ordered the mandatory evacuation of the city at 5 p.m.
Residents were told to take Highway 76 to Caledonia. If they did not have transportation, buses were available to transport them from the Houston city park.
Road closures
Highway 76 north of Houston was closed because a bridge three miles from I-90 was literally washed away, MnDOT area maintenance person Greg Husmann said. A detour off Highway 76 was being planned, he added.
Husmann said that Highway 16 between Houston and Hokah had been closed because of debris and mud slides on the road. In some areas, erosion up to the edge of the highway presented a sheer drop off, he said. By Monday noon, Minnesota State Patrol and the National Guard personnel stopped all cars on Highway 16 to warn them of what they would encounter. Some portions of the road was only one lane, he said.
Highway 16 to the west was not an option as Rushford had been flooded when a levy on Rush Creek failed.
Motels in Caledonia were filled and 18 people sought shelter at the Caledonia city auditorium, which served as a Red Cross shelter.
Volunteer support
There were more people showing up to volunteer at the city auditorium than there were those seeking shelter, Houston County Public Health Nurse Deb Rock said. Rock said the cooperation between agencies was impressive. She cited the support of the Red Cross and the Salvation Army.
In Brownsville, another emergency shelter was set up at the community center where 21 people found safety.
"It told me a lot about the place where we live," she said of the outpouring of support. "People have so much compassion and are so friendly," Rock said.
Rock said that the immediate priority for her agency and the community was to "keep on giving to their neighbors." Rock reported her agency called in some staff on Sunday afternoon. The first thing on their minds was to check on their homecare patients.
She said her office and state agencies would address safe cleanup procedures, the effects of power outages, and the importance of testing drinking water at a later time.
Mayor allows Houston residents
to return Monday morning
At 10 a.m., Monday, Houston Mayor Connie Edwards lifted the mandatory evacuation order allowing people to return to the city. The city had been threatened by the possibility of flooding from the Root River which might have overcome the levee surrounding the city.
All emergency services people had been removed from Houston Sunday evening in anticipation of a possible flood. State agencies were preparing to enter the city with boats if necessary.
The city knew the levee would hold back 20 feet of water and was unsure of how much more rain was coming. Unofficially, the river peaked at 19.5 feet.
The mayorís action came before the Army Corps of Engineers had checked the integrity of the levee. That action was to begin Monday.
The possibility of more rain was discussed by Houston County Emergency Management Director Kurt Kuhlers, who chaired a town meeting Monday morning at Caledonia High School/Middle School. Kuhlers stated there had been 19.3 inches of rain in the last 48 hours and that the river levels were falling.
Houston officials allowed that if significant rainfall occurred in the next few days, the city might reissue the evacuation order if the Root River were to rise.
Rushford slammed
Unofficial reports from Rushford indicated a levee on Rush Creek failed and flooded the city. Reports of water being up to the Kwik Trip roof and flooding the implement dealership and the mobile home court on State Highway 16 were told.
Governor Tim Pawlenty reported that he had toured Rushford on Sunday night. He told of water being up to the top of street signs. He made his Rushford tour in an airboat.
There were televised reports of 150 people seeking shelter at two locations in Rushford.
There was little time to react. There were no reports of fatalities in Rushford.
Caledonia Argus
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