National Guard activated to assist with flood fight in northwest Minnesota
April 25, 2022
CROOKSTON, MINN. (KFGO) – Following the severe storms across northwestern Minnesota, Governor Walz declared a peacetime emergency Sunday and activated the Minnesota National Guard in Crookston to provide support for emergency flood operations, including personnel, equipment, and resources.
The Polk County sheriff and the emergency manager requested assistance to help with sandbagging in Crookston and monitoring the river levees as the Red Lake River continues to rise.
An emergency operations center was set up Saturday in Crookston and sandbagging began, largely with volunteers. Some roads in Crookston have been forced to closed and there has been concern about threats to some parts of the city.
Red Cross volunteers have opened a shelter in the Crookston Sports Center, coordinating with the Polk County Public Health Department to assist anyone whose home has been flooded.
The National Weather Service predicts the river will crest near 29 feet sometime between Monday and Tuesday. That would top the record crest on the Red Lake River in Crookston in 1997 when it hit 28.4 feet.
