Flood fight in Northeast Minnesota reaches critical levels as property owners fight to stay afloat

LAKE KABETOGAMA, MN — Latest heavy rainfall and melt-off has contributed to extreme flooding throughout Northern Minnesota.

Within the Wet Lake basin, some lakes, similar to Lake Kabetogama, have already surpassed the historic excessive water ranges seen in 2014, and are nonetheless days away from cresting.

Excessive water ranges have begun to threaten houses, cabins and resorts across the lake.

Jennifer Gelo has owned the Sandy Level Resort and Lodge on Lake Kabetogama for almost 26 years.

She remembers the flooding in 2014 as among the worst she’d ever seen.

“We went via the 2014 flood, and that was very dramatic. This one is certainly increased than that,” stated Gelo.

“We’re our little successes and hanging on to these.”

Because the water stage continued to rise this 12 months, Gelo shortly realized this may very well be the worst flooding she’s seen within the 26 years she’s owned the Sandy Level Lodge and Resort.

“This one has thrown us for a loop,” stated Gelo.

As of Thursday, the resort’s car parking zone, docks and garden had been underwater.

Rising water had additionally begun to threaten a number of cabins.

Gelo, her husband and several other guests to the resort piled up sandbags, in some locations greater than three ft excessive to maintain the water from reaching their cabins and lodge.

Pumps additionally moved water from behind the sandbags again into the lake.

She stated protecting the flood at bay has been powerful, however they received’t surrender on their resort.

“When it’s your livelihood, you reside right here you’ve put your coronary heart into it. We appear to be getting up early, working late and we’ve received family and friends exhibiting up so it’s a battle we’re prepared to combat,” stated Gelo.

Sandbagging efforts led by the county and carried out by native volunteers have made all of the distinction.

“It’s been a really totally different and rather more optimistic group based mostly effort this 12 months than we skilled eight years in the past,” she stated.

John Stegmeier, a supervisor for Kabetogama Township, has been main the cost to load and distribute sandbags to resorts across the lake, a course of he believes wouldn’t be potential with out hardworking volunteers.

“It’s been a group effort. Individuals have confirmed up right here eight, 9 hours a day each day since we began bagging,” stated Stegmeier.

Stegmeier stated it’s been heartwarming to see the hassle between neighbors to lend one another a serving to hand.

“The entire group [has been] working collectively to get these baggage up there and placing the baggage out. A number of the positioning has been executed by the resort house owners themselves,” he stated.

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