Ice jam on Buffalo Creek may prompt flooding near Lester Prairie

LESTER PRAIRIE, MN — The National Weather Service has issued a flooding alert through Tuesday morning that pertains to an ice jam on the Buffalo Creek, south of Lester Prairie.

This ice jam, combined with rapid snow melt, may cause flooding in Brownton, Glencoe and south of  Lester Prairie.  Details are as follows:  

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN THE TWIN CITIES HAS ISSUED A

* FLOOD WARNING FOR AN ICE JAM AND SNOW MELT IN...
  MCLEOD COUNTY IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

* UNTIL 1000 AM CDT TUESDAY

* AT 1009 AM CDT...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED FLOODING ACROSS THE
  WARNED AREA. SANDBAGGING WAS OCCURRING ALONG BUFFALO CREEK...IN
  THE CITY OF BROWNTON...ALONG DIVISION STREET.  ICE JAMS WERE
  FORMING NEAR BROWNTON AND GLENCOE...ALONG BUFFALO CREEK.  OTHER
  SMALL CREEKS AND DITCHES MAY OVERFLOW BECAUSE OF ICE JAMS AND THE
  RAPID SNOW MELT.

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
  BROWNTON...GLENCOE...LESTER PRAIRIE...AND PLATO.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM ICE JAMS AND RAPID SNOW MELT WILL CAUSE
FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS...HIGHWAYS AND UNDERPASSES.
ADDITIONALLY...COUNTRY ROADS AND FARMLANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF
CREEKS...STREAMS AND OTHER LOW LYING AREAS ARE SUBJECT TO FLOODING.