Duluth hit by flooding after Tuesday storms

Summer flooding follows heavy rainfall

Summer flooding follows heavy rainfall

The city of Duluth has been dealing with flooding due to Tuesday’s storms.

Parts of downtown were hit by flood waters after a creek overflowed.

John Keefover captured on camera a river of water rushing by his apartment building.

“Right down the steps, I had my own little waterfall right here at my apartment,” Keefover said. “It was scary coming on the scene. It started rising pretty quickly.”

Keefover is thankful the only damage to his apartment building was a flooded laundry room.

Van Grounds says when the storm hit, the power went out in the grocery store where he was working.

“It was crazy, man,” he recalls. “I was just looking out the window at Whole Foods, watching it come down. I didn’t have a ride, scared to walk through that.”

Flash floods strike Duluth, but improvements since 2012 minimized damage, city says

Flash floods strike Duluth, but improvements since 2012 minimized damage, city says

Some compared the latest storm to the floods of 2012 but St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay says the storm damage in Duluth was relatively minor with far more rain falling farther north.

“Northern part of the county, we’ve had water mains washed out, there’s certain cities that don’t have any water right now, gas lines have been undermined,” he says.

Since 2012, upgrades were made, along with millions of dollars in repairs.

“The good news is that all the measures the City took after the 2012 flood to shore up our infrastructure and help protect it from future storm damage have served us well,” said Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert.

Sheriff Ramsey said those upgrades went well beyond city lines.

“Anytime a culvert was replaced, it was made at least one and a half to two times the size, so there’s been a concerted effort to avoid what we’re seeing,” he says.

The city is also asking residents to report any infrastructure issues they see by calling 218-730-4000. You can also report issues online.