Counties Alert Residents To Prepare For Spring Flooding

ST. CLOUD -- The National Weather Service is predicting a high likelihood of significant flooding across Minnesota this spring. It has emergency management personnel in Stearns and Benton counties working hard to be prepared.

Stearns County Emergency Management Director Marvin Klug says they are responsible for gathering the responders and planning the response.  But, he says residents need to start preparing now too.

Klug says you should craft an escape plan and start lining up sandbag help now because you never know when the flooding will start.

Benton County Emergency Management Director Jim McDermott says they have already sent letters out to folks living around Little Rock Lake to advise them to get prepared.

Emergency management officials say if you plan on buying flood insurance, get it now because there is a 30 waiting period before it goes into effect.

Other flood prone areas include the Sauk River, Mississippi River and some localized flooding around county lakes and streams.