Rice County joined the City of Faribault and the City of Northfield in passing proclamations Thursday declaring states of emergency for their areas.

Faribault Emergency Management Director Dusty Dienst says fortunately, or unfortunately depending on your viewpoint, city workers have become very adept at building a temporary dike to protect the water treatment plant.

Second Avenue was closed Thursday afternoon in the Faribault Foods-Woolen Mill area before the water came over the roadway.

The water will flow over the road eventually and officials don't want people to have to drive through the water, so they closed the road when the water was about halfway up the bottom of the bridge.

Sandbagging continued around the Woolen Mill.

Dienst told us water levels had not reached 2010 levels by afternoon, but had exceeded 2012 levels and in checking with officials in Owatonna the water was still rising.

What precipitation Owatonna gets comes to Faribault along the Straight River and then the Cannon River meets the Straight on the north side of Faribault and goes to Northfield.

Below is a video Troy Temple of TLT Video Productions took from the air of Teepee Tonka Park to give you a better idea of the extent of the flooding.

 

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