New Richland community steps up to help evacuate nursing home after flooding
Southern Minnesota hit hard by flooding after torrential rain
Flooding in southern Minnesota has some small-town neighborhoods under water. The high waters have forced some evacuations and road closers. FOX 9’s Soyoung Kim has more.
NEW RICHLAND, Minn. (FOX 9) - Residents are picking up the pieces after heavy rain and flooding devastated parts of southern Minnesota.
Evacuations were needed in New Richland, where community members stepped up to help.
Outpouring of support
The backstory:
The team at New Richland Care Center says they have been serving the community for more than five decades.
"The care center started in 1975, so they have been a part of the community. This is a municipality, owned by the city. So, the community holds it very dear to their hearts," said Robert Johannsen, facility administrator of New Richland Care Center.
Saturday was not the first time the facility had to be evacuated due to flooding. Johannsen says residents were also evacuated in 2010 and in 2016.
"This time was far worse being two-and-a-half feet in the hallways," said Johannsen.
New Richland flooding
What we know:
Johannsen started putting calls out for help just around 5 a.m. Saturday morning to evacuate 36 residents from the care center. He says at one point water was rushing through the building.
"At that time, it was knee-deep in the building. Every time you would open the door, water would rush in. There was water seeping in through the HVAC units in their room. So, we got them out of the water, got them down here," said Johannsen.
Many people answered the call, including a neighbor who provided their pontoon boat to help with the evacuation effort, plus high school students and first responders made sure everyone made it out to safety.
"Great community, everybody helped a lot, we’re grateful," said Johannsen.
Residents have been relocated across several senior care communities. The team says they have tried to save personal belongings and what they could as they brace for extensive repairs ahead.
Johannsen says the center has roughly 85 employees at any given time.
What they're saying:
Neighbors in the southeastern part of the city said this is not the first time their homes have been impacted due to flooding.
"I don’t even know about my furnace right now and it’s coming up through the drains, so sewers, you name it. It’s crazy," said Heidi, who lives in New Richland.
"The lots here go from Highway 30 back to the creek, which is at the far north end of my property. I think it’s about 400-500 feet back to the creek, but as soon as the creek gets a lot of water it spills over and floods all these backyards here," said Dave Wildgrube, who lives in New Richland. "I would hope that somebody would realize this town needs help. Do something about this creek. This study that we paid for had shown years ago maybe this creek should be rerouted around town, maybe there should be a big pit, or a holding area dug some place, so when we get this huge amount of rain it goes into a holding area."
What's next:
Local authorities say there have been no injuries reported due to the flooding. City officials have been at city hall over the weekend providing assistance to those in need.
Richland Care Center estimates repairs could take more than six months to complete.
The Source: FOX 9's Soyoung Kim reported on this story with information from New Richland Care Center, New Richland residents, City of New Richland, New Richland Police Department.