Sandbagging, road closures to begin Monday in Stillwater as flood protection efforts increase
[anvplayer video=”5169676″ station=”998122″]
Volunteers are answering the call to prepare for spring flooding by filling sandbags in downtown Stillwater Monday through Friday of this week.
The city’s community thread page states all volunteer roles in the sandbagging are now filled. However, anyone who wants to help is encouraged to follow the city’s social media pages to see if more shifts or volunteer roles are added.
Anyone 14 or older can sign up for sandbagging shifts. They run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday week and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday.
RELATED: As Stillwater braces for flood season, city in need of volunteers to stack sandbags
Volunteers have been putting up barricades and stacking sandbags to create a wall between downtown and the St. Croix River.
FILE - Sandbags are stacked in Stillwater along the bank of the St. Croix River. (KSTP/file)
Seven trails and seven parking lots were closed last week. On Monday, parts of at least three more roads between Main Street and the river will also be closed.
Businesses in downtown Stillwater will remain open despite the road closures.
Free parking will be offered at the parking ramp on 2nd Street North — just one block from Main Street — until further notice.
RELATED: Stillwater prepares for spring flooding
The National Weather Service released an updated spring flood outlook late last week that moved Stillwater’s chances of major flooding from 75% to 81%.
Predicted high water levels on both the St. Croix and the Mississippi Rivers are expected to contribute to a significantly higher risk of flooding this year across the region.
Near-record amounts of rain and snow this winter have largely contributed to the likelihood of flooding.