Summary

A stalled cool front was the catalyst for prolonged heavy rains over southern Minnesota. This large event began during the afternoon of Saturday, September 24th and tapered off on Sunday the 25th. Persistent thunderstorms dropped very heavy rains in a band 60 miles wide from just north of Sioux Falls to La Crosse. Hardest hit was south central Minnesota with six to nine inches of rain in Martin, Faribault, and Freeborn Counties. The highest total found was 9.01 inches at Winnebago in Faribault County. 8.74 inches fell at Fairmont in Martin County. Ten counties reported rainfall totals of five inches or greater.

The rains caused street and basement flooding the night of September 24th and the morning of September the 25th. In Winnebago, some of the basements were flooded up to the rafters. At Owatonna, water two feet deep was over roadways in town and manhole covers were being forced off due to the floodwaters. Water was also two to three feet deep in Faribault in Rice County. The intersection of Highway 60 and 71 in Windom had three feet of standing water with cars stalled on it during the height of the storm just after midnight on September 25. Numerous agricultural fields were flooded raising concerns of rot and delays in harvest.

A smaller event effected parts of the same area on August 17-18th.

The State Climatology Office thanks the Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the National Weather Service, and all of the diligent volunteer precipitation observers who make analyses of these events possible.

Radar imagery from the Chanhassen National Weather Service depicts the storm rainfall total. Listed below are National Weather Service Statements about the heavy rain.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
1256 PM CDT MON SEP 26 2005

...ROCHESTER HAS THEIR THIRD WETTEST SEPTEMBER DAY...

ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 25TH...ROCHESTER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
RECEIVED 3.17 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION. THIS TIED SEPTEMBER 15 1941
FOR THEIR THIRD WETTEST SEPTEMBER DAY. ROCHESTER HAD THEIR WETTEST
SEPTEMBER DAY ON SEPTEMBER 12 1978. ON THIS DATE...5.98 INCHES OF
PRECIPITATION FELL. THE TABLE BELOW CONTAIN ROCHESTER/S TOP FIVE
WETTEST SEPTEMBER DAYS...

PRECIPITATION
RANK              TOTAL                 DATE
----          -------------             ----
1             5.98 INCHES        SEPTEMBER 12 1978
2             4.04 INCHES        SEPTEMBER 14 2004
3             3.17 INCHES        SEPTEMBER 25 2005
              3.17 INCHES        SEPTEMBER 15 1941
5             3.11 INCHES        SEPTEMBER 19 1938

SEPTEMBER 25TH WILL GO DOWN INTO THE RECORD BOOKS AS BEING
THEIR LATEST DATE IN THE YEAR TO HAVE A DAILY PRECIPITATION TOTAL
3 INCHES OR GREATER. PRIOR TO YESTERDAY...THE LATEST DATE WAS
SEPTEMBER 15TH AND THAT OCCURRED JUST LAST YEAR.


PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
514 AM CDT SUN SEP 25 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..

1145 PM     FLASH FLOOD      OWATONNA                44.09N 93.22W
09/24/2005                   STEELE             MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

APPROXIMATELY 2 FEET OF WATER CROSSING THE ROADWAYS IN
TOWN. MANHOLE COVERS REPORTEDLY FORCED OFF BY THE
FLOODWATERS. REPORTED BY COUNTY DISPATCH.

1145 PM     FLASH FLOOD      FARIBAULT               44.30N 93.27W
09/24/2005                   RICE               MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

2 TO 3 FEET OF WATER REPORTEDLY CROSSING ROADWAYS IN
TOWN. REPORTED BY COUNTY DISPATCH.

0300 AM     FLASH FLOOD      BLUE EARTH              43.64N 94.10W
09/25/2005                   FARIBAULT          MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

PUMPING TO REMOVE FLOOD WATERS HAS BEGUN IN
TOWN...ALTHOUGH DETAILS ARE NOT YET AVAILABLE AS TO THE
EXTENT AND DESCRIPTION OF THE FLOODING.

0300 AM     FLASH FLOOD      WINNEBAGO               43.77N 94.17W
09/25/2005                   FARIBAULT          MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

IN EXCESS OF 7 INCHES OF RAIN HAVE FALLEN OVERNIGHT
RESULTING IN NUMEROUS FLOODED STREETS IN TOWN.

0300 AM     FLASH FLOOD      WELLS                   43.74N 93.73W
09/25/2005                   FARIBAULT          MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

NUMEROUS STREETS AND BASEMENTS REPORTEDLY FLOODED.

0400 AM     FLASH FLOOD      5 E TRIMONT             43.76N 94.62W
09/25/2005                   MARTIN             MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

COUNTY ROAD 27 HAS BEEN CLOSED DUE TO HIGH WATER.



PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
150 PM CDT MON SEP 26 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..

1100 PM     FLASH FLOOD      3 NE HERON LAKE         43.83N 95.28W
09/24/2005                   JACKSON            MN   PUBLIC

ROADS AND FIELDS FLOODED

0100 AM     FLASH FLOOD      10 NE SALEM             43.83N 97.25W
09/25/2005                   MCCOOK             SD   TRAINED SPOTTER

FLOODED FIELDS

0230 AM     FLASH FLOOD      JACKSON                 43.62N 94.99W
09/25/2005                   JACKSON            MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

STREETS...FIELDS...AND BASEMENTS FLOODED


PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
1350 AM CDT MON SEP 26 2005

HEAVY RAINS FELL OVER A LARGE PART OF NORTHWEST IOWA AND SOUTHWEST
MINNESOTA DURING THE WEEKEND. THE RAINS PROMPTED FLASH FLOOD WATCHES
AND WARNINGS SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY.

AREA RAINFALL TOTALS INCLUDE:

SPENCER (KICD).............. 3.44
SPENCER (WEST SIDE)......... 3.68
ESTHERVILLE................. 4.90
MILFORD..................... 5.80
FOSTORIA.................... 4.96
4 WEST OF SPENCER........... 4.00
RUTHVEN..................... 3.65
SIOUX RAPIDS................ 3.00
AURELIA..................... 2.36
CYLINDER.................... 4.07
GRAETTINGER................. 3.10
WALLINGFORD................. 3.50
SPIRIT LAKE................. 4.50
MELVIN...................... 3.57
CURLEW...................... 2.72
2 EAST OF HOSPERS........... 2.45
3 WEST OF SANBORN........... 1.85
LAKE PARK................... 3.18
POMEROY..................... 2.65
EMMETSBURG.................. 3.40
ROYAL....................... 3.30
MARATHON.................... 1.57
JACKSON, MN................. 6.50
1 NORTH OF PETERSBURG, MN... 4.60
3 WEST OF LAKEFIELD, MN..... 6.00


PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
106 AM CDT SUN SEP 25 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..

0100 AM     FLASH FLOOD      WORTHINGTON             43.63N 95.60W
09/25/2005                   NOBLES             MN   PUBLIC

WIDESPREAD STREET FLOODING WITH CARS STALLED OUT.


PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
1244 AM CDT SUN SEP 25 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..

1220 AM     FLASH FLOOD      WINDOM                  43.87N 95.12W
09/25/2005                   COTTONWOOD         MN   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

PERKINS CREEK IS OUT OF ITS BANKS AND IS CONTINUING TO
RISE. NUMEROUS INTERSECTIONS ARE UNDERWATER. INTERSECTION
OF HIGHWAY 60 AND 71 HAS THREE FEET OF STANDING WATER
WITH CARS STALLED OUT. WIDESPREAD BASEMENT FLOODING AND
GARAGES ARE FLOODED OUT.


PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
1046 PM CDT SAT SEP 24 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..

1000 PM     FLASH FLOOD      WORTHINGTON             43.63N 95.60W
09/24/2005                   NOBLES             MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

STREETS FLOODED THROUGHOUT THE TOWN. WATER UP TO CAR
BUMPERS IN SOME INTERSECTION...STALLING CARS. STILL
RAINING AS OF 1045 PM CDT.



PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
1020 PM CDT SAT SEP 24 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..

0930 PM     HAIL             1 W OCHEYEDAN           43.42N 95.56W
09/24/2005  0.75 INCH        OSCEOLA            IA   EMERGENCY MNGR

0958 PM     FLASH FLOOD      WINDOM                  43.87N 95.12W
09/24/2005                   COTTONWOOD         MN   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

HIGHWAY 71 UNDERPASS ON SOUTH SIDE OF TOWN FLOODED. ALSO
UP TO 3 FEET OF WATER IN SOME PARKING LOTS FLOODING CARS.


PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
929 PM CDT SAT SEP 24 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..

0915 PM     FLASH FLOOD      SIOUX FALLS             43.54N 96.73W
09/24/2005                   MINNEHAHA          SD   PUBLIC

SOME WATER IN A BASEMENT ON SOUTHEASTERN AVE.

0911 PM     FLASH FLOOD      WINDOM                  43.87N 95.12W
09/24/2005                   COTTONWOOD         MN   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

WATER UP TO THE CURB ON CITY STREETS.

0922 PM     FLASH FLOOD      WINDOM                  43.87N 95.12W
09/24/2005                   COTTONWOOD         MN   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

WATER FLOWING INTO BASEMENTS.

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URL: http://climate.umn.edu/doc/journal/flash_floods/ff050924_25.htm
Last modified: September 26, 2005