Water levels in areas of Olmsted and Dodge Counties began dropping Friday afternoon after an overnight deluge resulted in widespread flash flooding followed by flooding along the South Branch of the Zumbro River.
The flooding along the Mississippi River in southeastern Minnesota this year is among the 10 worst on record, but the flood crests ended up being significantly lower than the dire predictions made shortly after the record-setting snowstorms in February and March.
The National Weather Service has come out with its first spring flood crest predictions for the Mississippi River in southeastern Minnesota and it appears the high water marks will be well below the record highs set in 1965.
A growing number of state highways and other roadways across southeastern Minnesota are being affected by rising water levels due to the melting snow and rain.