From May 31st to June 1st, violent storms hit the Twin Cities, swelling the already overflowing Minnehaha Creek. This caused some property damage, as the waters advanced over lawns and flooded houses.

Carmen Campbell, a longtime Edina resident, was among those who saw the flood encroach on her backyard, eventually getting to the point where she had to use sandbags. Luckily, Campbell strategically rebuilt her house on an incline after similar flooding in 1987. Both Edina and St. Louis Park attempted to help citizens, allowing them to order sandbags by calling 911 if their house was in danger.

Another citizen of Edina, Carol Holmes, noted the height of the creek near Arden Park. “My husband and I, we’ve lived here for almost eighteen years and thats the biggest rapids we’ve seen,” she said. She also noted some concern about the safety of the people near those rapids. “I’m a little bit worried about just the falls area, there’s too many people down there trying to fish.”

Holmes wasn’t the only one noting the danger of the raging water. Hennepin County Emergency Management also released three safety tips about avoiding walking or driving in water, in hopes of keeping citizens safe. “The water is rising and moving quickly,” Holmes explained. “Only a few inches of moving water can sweep an adult off their feet. It’s especially important to keep children away from the creek,” said Edina Fire Chief Tom Schmitz, as quoted in an article from Eyewitness 5 ABC News.

While the water level has gone down considerably since the rainstorm, there could be danger, as the water level is still considerably higher than normal. The creek is most likely unsafe for rafting, although it would be impossible in the first place with a fallen tree blocking the river.