Cottonwood River crests at over 17 feet in New Ulm

NEW ULM, Minn. (KEYC) -A weekend of heavy rain has left many communities in the midst of flood conditions.

Brown County in particular has seen flooding disrupt communities around the area.

Comfrey residents are still dealing with standing water throughout the community and the Cottonwood River in New Ulm has now peaked at over 17 feet, spilling over and closing down Cottonwood Street.

“It goes over the Cottonwood Street at 13.1. Anything above 17 feet makes me less and less, it makes me a little bit concerned. At 20.5 the first house needs to be evacuated over there,” said New Ulm Police Chief Dave Borchert.

Cottonwood Street flooding is by design, allowing water to flow outward and relieve some pressure on the Cottonwood Bridge, which is already impacted by debris in the high currents and rising water levels.

New Ulm said that they believe that the river has crested and likely won’t cause damage to residential areas or people, but are also watching the forecast closely, as the area could see even more rain at the end of the week.

Borchert said that his current concern isn’t the height of the river itself, but residents staying safe around flood areas and nearby rivers.

“We’ve done rescues on the river drain during floods. Because again, someone is out having a good time. They don’t realize the consequence and all of a sudden they’re in a life and death situation. It can happen fast,” Borchert said.

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