Roads closed

Area roads, homes take a hit after several days of heavy rain

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BROOKINGS – Brookings County officials are still urging drivers to use caution if they have to travel on county and township roads.

Many area roadways remain closed after a half-foot or more of rain fell in some parts of the county this week.

The Brookings County Sheriff’s Office was advising no travel on county and township roads in southeastern Brookings County Thursday, after two days of heavy rainfall.

“Many of the county and township roads are now flooded, specifically in the southeastern part of the county (south of Highway 14, and east of Interstate 29). Crews are out attempting to get them marked and barricaded, but please use common sense,” the sheriff’s office reported Thursday morning.

“Brookings County gravel roads received an excessive amount of rain over the past two days. If you come upon a road with water running fast, do not try to cross it. Your life is worth more than whatever is on the other side of the water,” Brookings County Emergency Manager Bob Hill reported in a Wednesday afternoon email.

“Please be careful. A lot of roads are impassable even without water on them. It will take time to get the roads repaired,” Hill added.

Brookings County Assistant Sheriff Scott Sebring said Thursday afternoon that a majority of the county and township roads closed now could be closed for the foreseeable future, and township roads are in especially rough shape. Many were still damaged and had not been fixed following spring flooding in the county.

He said the sheriff’s office responded to a couple of noninjury accidents Thursday morning due to vehicles driving into water over roads.

Brookings County also announced Thursday morning that Salvation Army Clean-Up Kits are available in the Emergency Management office at the Brookings City & County Government Center for anyone dealing with flooded basements.

On Wednesday afternoon, the City of Aurora via its Facebook page asked residents to limit their water usage. “Due to recent rain fall, the (city’s) lift station is beyond capacity. Please limit water usage over the next five days.”

The City of Brookings was keeping a partial list on its Facebook page Thursday of water-related closures, which included Fishback Soccer Park, some Dakota Nature Park trails, and the Sexauer Park campground. Other flooded areas in and around Brookings included Harvey Dunn and First Avenue, Medary Avenue South, the Sixth Avenue viaduct, West 10th Street, and 34th Avenue.

Trenton Township roads were closed to all traffic, and no traffic was advised in Parnell Township. In Oslo Township, 215th Street was closed between 461st Avenue and 462nd Avenue, as was 217th Street between 464th Avenue and 465th Avenue.

Rainfall totals this week in Brookings County varied. Greater amounts were reported in the southeastern part of the county.

According to the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network, some portions of the county received six or more inches of rain over a two-day period. 

Daily precipitation reporting periods on CoCoRaHS are for 24 hours, from 7 a.m. to 7 a.m.

From 7 a.m. Tuesday to 7 a.m. Wednesday, rainfall reports on CoCoRaHS ranged from .31 inches in north central Brookings County to 3.03 inches near Aurora.

From 7 a.m. Wednesday to 7 a.m. Thursday, rainfall reports on CoCoRaHS ranged from 1.76 inches in north central Brookings County to 4.35 inches near Brookings.

Daily precipitation reports can be found online at https://www.cocorahs.org.

Below 1: Flooding in Western Estates on Thursday. (Matthew Rhodes/Register)

Below 2: Flooding at the Sexauer Park campground on Thursday. (Matthew Rhodes/Register)

Below 3-4: Flooding in an Aurora housing development on Thursday. (Matthew Rhodes/Register)

Below 5-15: Photos of flooding in the Aurora area, courtesy of Jason Salzman, www.salzmanstudios.smugmug.com.