REGIONAL- Monday’s Rainy River Basin flood update from the Duluth National Weather Service office was one residents in affected areas were likely to be less enthusiastic about than some, as the forecast through next Wednesday was summed up in one distasteful word: wet.
NWS forecasters indicated the chances for intermittent showers and thunderstorms was high, and multiple online weather sites indicated the likelihood of at least some rain every day from the Fourth of July through next Friday.
But there was also plenty of good news overall, and in particular for the Namakan Lake chain, including Kabetogama and Crane Lakes.
Barring any additional heavy rainfall, the lake level for Namakan, which had already dropped below the 2014 peak, was expected to fall another 12-15 inches by this Sunday. That would put the drop since the May 1 crest at about four feet. It’s possible the Namakan chain of lakes will reach normal levels by mid-July.
Rainy Lake crested much later, on June 15, and the waters have receded nine inches since then. The NWS forecast projects the lake will drop another seven to nine inches by Sunday. The inflow and outflow levels are still very close, which could lead to a slowing or pause in the drop in the case of heavy precipitation. Even at the current rate, Rainy Lake isn’t expected to reach normal levels until mid-to-late August.
However, those tentative predictions have replaced the once all-too-familiar caution that flood conditions would likely persist for the foreseeable future. An end to the flooding is now in sight.
The conversations in social media groups for the Kabetogama and Crane Lake communities reflect the positive changes, as the flooding is rarely mentioned in conversation now and often referred to in past tense. What has remained constant are the posts of wayward items washed away by the floods that have been found and are looking for owners.
And as a final indicator that the region is well on the downside of this historic flood event, NWS has discontinued its Thursday teleconference updates regarding the flood.