Street Flooding Common in Rochester Tuesday Evening
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - Widespread flooding was reported Tuesday night in the Rochester area, which was hit by waves of strong thunderstorms through the evening.
Reports submitted to the National Weather Service indicate up to four inches of rain hit sections of the city over a period of several hours, resulting in numerous reports of flooded streets and parking lots. Many motorists found themselves stranded when their vehicles became disabled while attempting to navigate flooded streets. There were even reports of close to 5 inches of rain northwest of Rochester near Douglas.
Heavy rains also caused flooding problems on other southeastern Minnesota communities, including Kasson, Byron, Austin and Zumbro Falls. The State Patrol reported traffic had to be detoured off a section of I-90 in Austin for about a half hour due to high water.
The storms also produced reports of tornadoes and both Freeborn and Winona Counties. The twisters were spotted in rural areas and it’s unclear if there was any significant damage.