The flooding of the Mississippi River continues to close roads around Hastings as the predicted crest keeps getting pushed out by the National Weather Service. Hastings hit major flood stage back on April 20th and the crest predictions as of Monday night have been adjusted to sometime on April 29th at 19.4 feet. Just a few days ago, the prediction was April 26th at 19.5 feet. A week before that, the prediction was back around April 20th at 19.8 feet.

As of 7:30 p.m. on Monday, April 24th, the river is listed at 18.92 feet. At that height, Ravenna Trail between 18th Street East and Glendale Road is fully submerged and further out Ravenna Trail is closed at a second point from 185th Street East to County Road 91 (Etter Bridge), which is one of the routes to Treasure Island Resort and Casino. Those travelling to Treasure Island need to take Highway 316 to Highway 61 toward Red Wing to County Road 18.

With the water slowly creeping up, how are the Public Works employees helping to keep Hastings residents safe?

“Last week we closed Lock and Dam Road at Second Street,” said Public Works Director Ryan Stempski in an email. “We continue to ask the public to slow down and do not try to drive around the barricades put in place for flooding. We also spoke with residents along First Street to check that their floor drains were plugged to avoid any flood waters inundating our sanitary sewer system. We continue to check key locations of our storm sewer system along the river to check for damage and to make sure plugs remain in place as planned. We also were invited to place temporary gravel down on the private easement used by the East Hastings residents for access while East Fourth Street remains under water. This was done to aid public safety access in an emergency.”

Stempski continued, “We continue to monitor Tenth Street east of the bridge over the Vermillion River. This may require closure, which would also create another closure on 18th Street east of the main parking lot for C.P. Adams Park. We continue to review the projections for timing and depth of flood levels in order to adjust response actions as appropriate.”

The temporary gravel for the easement, according to area resident Pete Likes, will need to be removed per DNR instructions once Fourth Street East is inspected and deemed safe to re-open. Likes continues to be frustrated with the questionable decisions made by the DNR and other officials. Since the powers at be will not give the permission to raise the road to a safe height, why not make a permanent gravel trail through there that can be gated at each end? Keep the gates closed when the trail is not needed, open the gates and do minimal repairs to the path as needed. Anyone caught driving on that path without permission is treated the same way they are when they are caught on other parts of the property driving without permission. They get a ticket with a fine.

Likes and the other residents are thankful that something is being done to help them if an emergency situation were to occur, but after driving the path Sunday evening, there is still more work to be done if the city expects to get any kind of equipment heavier than an ambulance through the path. It was quite soft, and, in a pickup, there were concerns of getting stuck in a few places without shifting into four-wheel drive. It is also a very rough third-of-a-mile trek through the woods in a truck designed to handle that type of ride.

Spring Street north of Second Street, also known as Lock and Dam Road, is closed for access to Jaycee Park. Starting Tuesday, April 25th, it will be completely impassable near Lock and Dam Number 2. The Army Corps of Engineers and other dam workers will begin driving their vehicles down the trail that starts on Nininger Road. If you are walking or biking on this portion of the trail, please use caution and yield to the authorized vehicles so that everyone gets by safely. Keep in mind that the trail is also underwater at the same location as the road being flooded and it is much deeper than the road, so there is no public access to much of Jaycee Park and Lake Rebecca at the current flood stage.