STILLWATER, Minn. — It's all hands on deck in Stillwater as the city prepares for rising waters on the St. Croix River.
According to the National Weather Service, the overall risk for flooding this spring is well above normal along many waterways across the state. An NWS hydrologist says there's an 80% chance the St. Croix will reach major flood stage when it crests usually about the second week of April.
Nick Temali, a retired school administrator, is one of the hundreds of volunteers who signed up to fill sandbags that will be placed along the river.
"I signed up for two days this week and now I wish I would have signed up for all four of them," said Temali. "I'm feeling great, I could keep going."
In all, the group will fill 6,000 sandbags every day this week to prepare for what could be the worst flooding in about four years.
"It's always in the back of or minds," says longtime resident Cathleen Hess, Director of Communications for Community Thread, a non-profit that teams up with the Washington County Emergency Management team to recruit all the volunteers.
"There's always that hope, I hope everything fills up, and then when everything does, it's like, you know what, of course, it would," said Hess. "Stillwater is the kind of community where people give back."
Besides the sandbags, the city is now building a berm to keep the water at bay, along with closing the iconic lift bridge and streets and parking lots closest to the riverfront. There is also 2,000 feet of concrete barriers lining the water.
"The truth is, each and every year, we’ve got to watch what happens with that river," said Hess, who, like all of the volunteers, is committed to protecting a place that means so much to so many.
All volunteer spots are full and the work will continue through 2 p.m. Friday, although city officials are watching the forecast on Thursday and Friday. The expected rainfall could impact the sandbagging schedule.