MORA, Minn. – The Kanabec County Sheriff says it appears water levels on a popular lake have crested, but severe flooding remains in the wake of this week's torrential rains.
Sheriff Brian Smith says more roads were closed this morning due to widespread flooding, up to as many as 30 shut down. He says Fish Lake seems to have crested but the Snake River is rising at a rate of 3 to 4 inches per hour, triggering flooding in the community of Grasston. Homeowners there are working frantically to sandbag and rig emergency sump pumps.
Several homes and campers remain under water near the Fish Lake Resort outside of Mora.
The flooding caught many people off guard.
"I guess they haven’t seen anything like this since 1972,” said Windy Trattle’s whose camper was surrounded by water near the resort. She was one of the lucky ones.
"Fish Lake is caught in the middle and it’s just up and up and up,” said Sheriff Brian Smith. “Earlier this morning, it was three inches an hour. We are now doing two inches an hour in the last probably four hours.”
Smith said the water slowed by Wednesday night and should crest by late in the evening.
"It’s heartbreaking, just heartbreaking,” said Reno Gunderson, a Mora resident who came to help lay down sandbags.
At the Fish Lake Resort, water was up to the side of several campers. A truck was almost submerged. The resort's employees and other officials harnessed a number of propane tanks so they wouldn't float away.
Inside the bar and grill, the basement is submerged and parts of the bar and grill on the first floor have two to three feet of water in it. Employees spent the day laying sandbags.
"Just trying salvage what they can. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s going to be much,” said Tara Eggert, one of the resort’s employees.
Homes and cabins nearby were flooded out. Deputies and neighbors rescued a family of four and their two dogs who were stranded, according to Smith.
"It really catches you off guard, coming up this fast,” Fred Chose, whose cabin was submerged.
Smith said there is a lot of damage, which is why the county has asked the state for assistance. He recalled trying to help an elderly couple who lost everything in their home. They didn’t have flood insurance.
“That hits you right in the heart,” he said as his voice cracked.
But he also said the effort by people has been wonderful. Chose recalled the story of one family offering to help another family after volunteers helped lay sandbags around their home.
"They said alright we’ll go with you. And the whole family and everyone that was helping them got in their vehicles and came to Mora, and helped with this other house. And they didn’t know him for nobody. That’s really cool,” he said.
A Facebook page has been created to help flooding victims in Kanabec County. You can find it here.