Morning Radar image of training thunderstorms over Polk & Barron counties.

Area Report

Loud Thunderstorms accompanied by very heavy torrential rain and dangerous lighting brought significant rainfall amounts over of 3 to 4 inches to parts of the area causing severe flooding in the form of significant community street flooding, agriculture flooding and in some cases wash out roads. Areas that received the highest rainfall totals was localized to an area that included my imitate location in Southeastern Polk County, with Southern Barron and Northern Dunn counties also being included. Western St Croix County also was hit torrential rain. from a secondary complex of storms.

Radar estimate.

Morning thunderstorms, which started of fairly small over Polk county around 4AM, were at first developing and moving northwest then they stalled, blossomed into a huge training complex of strong thunderstorms and then began training right over the central and southern part of Polk and Barron counties for a couple hours, then it slowly then moved south and east into Northern Dunn county. 4.50″ of rain was reported in Turtle Lake, where a report of flooded village streets was reported. Further south more then 3 inches of rain was reported in Clayton with severe flooding as well. Radar estimates that a heavy core of rain also effected Prairie Farm, Dallas and Sand Creek. At the same time as the torrential rain north, heavy cells of thunderstorms over the Twin Cities metro moved into Southwestern St Croix county and brought torrential rains over 2 inches to the Hudson area with no reports of significant flooding in that area.

Clayton area Severe Flooding & Very Dangerous lightning.

Corn field flooded July 16th 2011

These storms brought a significant amount of rain which caused the severe flooding around my area, My rainfall totaled 3.66″ from this storm, which easily shattered all of my 3 year old records for the highest 24 hour rainfall amount my location. Starting from the beginning I awoke to the south of thunder and vivid lightning at 4AM by a cell that was coming from the west. After a quick process of looking at the radar then shutting down the computer, torrential rain began falling. Rain was so heavy that my view of the garage across the yard was actually restricted, and with the wind first breezy from the west, made the windows look like going through a car wash. Near the same time as the heavy rain, multiple strikes one after another of extremely close and dangerous cloud to ground lightning was hitting all around.

Video of an Heavy Rain with an extremely close lightning bolt July 16th 2011

These storms brought the most frequently close strikes I’ve ever witnessed in a thunderstorm, There were so many close loud strikes in a long period of time that it was actually becoming a scary experience. After awhile the lightning slowed down briefly enough for me to go online and see on radar thunderstorm complexes that were just beginning to build south again towards my area, I began having a growing concern for flooding, because the rain was just not ending. The second wave moved in not long after the first with torrential blinding rain again and gusting winds this time from the east, It also came with more multiple dangerously close bolts. In this thunderstorm complex I filmed the bolt above which was the closest bolt of the night. The lightning strike was centered less then a half mile north of my yard, in the wood somewhere right behind our bard. The thunder was immediately after the first strike, and was so loud that what is heard on tape is the sound of thunder behind a window.

Polk/Barron St near County Road D intersection.

These storms brought severe flooding to Clayton with torrential rain lasting 2 hours. Locals say it is the worst in 20 years, which I believe because it is the worst flooding that I’ve ever seen while I was growing up here. A drive through Clayton after the storm showed lots flooded yards, and Mud creek at county road D was bank full and flooding. The worst of the flooding included a washout at section of my street here in southeast Clayton just a block from my house. My uncle called me after rain was over and he said as we was approaching what looked like an indent in the street ahead of him, after he stopped and looked awhile, the road which carved out completely underneath from water it gave way an collapsed into a 3 foot deep hole that was about 3 feet across. He called the police right after and they closed past County Road D until it can be repaired.

Driveway washout July 16th

This was a small drainage hole before the storm, afterwards it was opened into a hole that was 10 inches deep. Our driveway is not in need of repair because there are 5 to 7 inches ruts all up and down it from rushing water. What proved the rain to be heavy was that my yard and cornfields near my house had standing water in even as nightfall came the next night.

Flood & Highest rainfall Reports

Turtle Lake 4.50″ Lots of flooding on Village streets

Clayton 3.66″ lots of Flooded yards with Portion of Polk/Barron street near county road D intersection barricaded with washout.

Hudson 2.02″