Residents are packing up what they can from homes as high flood water fills parts of Jackson, in southwestern Minnesota, from the Des Moines River.

“The sheriff talked to me and said I had five minutes to gather some things and get out,” said JoLynn Wiers, a resident of Jackson.

Wiers grabbed what she could from her home over the weekend. “What do you take… You can’t think that fast,” she recalled.

In the time since, the family has been using a canoe to go back to the home.

The community south of Interstate 90 has been experiencing high water—15 feet in some points—according to city officials.

The last time water was this high, officials said was in 1969.

City officials have crews working to bolster dikes in town built in hopes of protecting critical infrastructure.

“We thought it crested yesterday but sounds like it’s coming up again,” said Nolan Luhmann.

On Monday afternoon, Luhmann and others were working to try and save an apartment, and workshop from the water in downtown.

Volunteers that have been checking in with the city have been given lifejackets as they head out to the community to help with sandbagging.

“It means a lot, a lot, small towns, people always say small town mentality, it’s definitely showing,” Luhmann said.