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Before Aug. 18, Garvin Brook was a small trout stream flowing through Minnesota City that one could simply jump across. After the flood, it turned into a raging river that swallowed backyards and garages on a line of houses on Minnesota Street.
Susan Althoff, the chairwoman of the Garvin Brook Disaster Relief Fund, has lived near Minnesota City for most of her life and definitely notices the change.
“It doesn’t look like Minnesota City anymore,” she said.
Damage estimates in Minnesota City proper are relatively minimal compared to the rest of the county at large. According to Winona County Assessor Steve Hacken, real estate properties there sustained just $296,000 worth of damage.
But take a few steps into surrounding Rollingstone Township, where housing subdivisions like Saehler and Gunderson can be found, and that number jumps dramatically to $6.9 million.
According to Winona County Zoning Administrator Eric Johnson, 74 homes had water on the main floor, causing heavy damage. Of those, two homes will be bought out and at least a dozen have yet to be rebuilt, Johnson said. Although no firm numbers are available, he said several people are still working to rebuild their homes while some have simply walked away.
The business impact to Minnesota City was minor as there weren’t many businesses around to begin with. One of the harder hit businesses was up and running within a few weeks but still has work to do.
Canton Mills Inc., a fertilizer manufacturer and shipping warehouse, had its basement flooded when the waters rose and the banks of Garvin Brook eroded away, said co-owner Dave Bunke. Business got moving again once the phone lines were fixed and inventory was replaced. Bunke needs to tear down one of his buildings but has yet to access it because of the eroded landscape.
“It’s a blow, but we’ll get through it,” he said.
As for an impact on tourism to Minnesota City, O’Neil said there really wasn’t any tourism before the flood anyway. Although he has noticed fewer cars driving through town, it’s really not a destination location, he said.
