Flood dud?

The level of the Mississippi River in downtown St. Paul has risen about two feet from yesterday afternoon, but the effects are spectacularly unimpressive so far. It’s expected to rise another two-and-a-half feet before it crests on Saturday. The National Weather Service has changed the forecast for the river, saying it will crest about 5 inches lower than it had previously predicted. Here’s the daily comparison.

Raspberry Island
15.4 ft 9/30
13.5 ft 9/29
11.3 ft 9/28
9.2 ft 9/27

Wabasha St. Bridge
15.4 ft 9/30
13.5 ft 9/29
11.3 ft 9/28
9.2 ft 9/27

A two-foot increase in water level. How much actual water is that? According to the National Weather Service, it’s 126,000 cubic feet of water per second. That’s almost one million gallons, according to my napkin math. That’s equal to a typical day’s consumption of about 14,000 people every one second.

Meanwhile, in the hard-hit areas of the flooding, Rice County is looking for volunteers to assist with clean-up efforts. Those interested are encouraged to contact the United Way 24-hour statewide community resource number at 2-1-1 or 1-800-543-7709.