Koochiching County Sheriffs Office on Flooding response to help residents
RE: RAINY LAKE BASIN FLOODING UPDATE May 9th, 2022
Rainy Lake water levels continue to rise in response to spring snowmelt and recent rainfall. In response to these rises, the Koochiching County Sheriff’s Office has activated the Emergency Operations Center to help coordinate resources, track expenses, and streamline information flow between agencies.
Beginning tomorrow (May 10, 2022), residents in need of sandbags can stop by the Law
Enforcement Center (715 4th Street, International Falls, MN) and pick up bags as needed. The
Koochiching County Highway Department will stage sand at City Beach (3405 County Road 46, Ranier, MN) and Island View (1817 MN-11 East, International Falls, MN) where residents can go to fill their bags free of charge.
The Koochiching County Sheriff’s Office continues to actively prepare for flooding effects and has been working with regional partners on obtaining a bagging machine and additional sandbags and pallets for public use.
Looking ahead; a larger bagging site has been identified and work has begun on getting it setup. Once the site is operational, volunteers will be sought to help fill and palletize sandbags for bulk pick-up for residents in need. Additional information will be released when details are finalized.
Homeowners in low-lying areas along the lake and river, particularly those who were negatively impacted by high water in 2014, should be taking preparedness actions immediately.
The Sheriff’s Office encourages the public to monitor the water levels on the Rainy Lake and Rainy River in real time at the following website: https://www.weather.gov/dlh/RainyRiverBasin.