Recent thaw causes Root, Zumbro rivers to spill over

Last update: February 13, 2009 - 8:03 PM

Flooding along the Root and Zumbro rivers has been swamping low-lying areas in southeastern Minnesota.

The high water, triggered by ice jams and melting snow, caused no serious disruptions or damage Friday, according to the sheriffs' offices in Houston and Wabasha counties.

The National Weather Service reported a jam more than a mile long has formed on the Root River in Hokah, causing water to crest its banks and inundate farmland in the Mound Prairie area.

The high water is expected to persist in eastern Houston County for several days.

Ice jams in that area are not unusual this time of year as the river rises and picks up ice chunks that break loose and build up behind bridges and tight areas.

In Wabasha County, a similar jam has formed on the Zumbro River between Kruger and Zumbro Bottoms state forests

The Weather Service warned motorists to stay off water-covered roads in the area, adding:

"It takes only two feet of water to float most automobiles ... Turn around. Don't drown."

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