Severe weather causes major disruptions to parks, campgrounds across Midwest

Severe weather swept across the Midwest on Saturday, bringing significant disruptions to local businesses and recreational areas. The storms caused extensive flooding and damage, impacting campgrounds and state parks across the Midwest.

If you planned a visit to the affected areas, contact the RV campground or State Park to ensure that it’s safe to proceed with your plans.

Iowa’s Red Barn Campground

One of the hardest hit areas was the Red Barn Campground in Lansing, Iowa. The campground experienced extensive flooding on Saturday, leaving a path of destruction in its wake.

Terry Ely, the owner of Red Barn Campground, described the terrifying scene. Initially, he thought the storm would pass without incident. However, his assumptions were quickly proven wrong when a massive four-foot wall of water came rushing from behind, sweeping through the entire campground.

“We ended up with six inches of rain on the rain gauge,” said Ely. The deluge also caused significant electrical damage and brought down several trees, though fortunately, no campers were injured.”

South Dakota water rescue

In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the situation was equally alarming. Early Friday morning, authorities were called to Huset’s Speedway in Brandon for a water rescue. Several people were trapped at the campgrounds due to flooding.

The Split Rock Volunteer Fire Department reported that rescue agencies used several boats to evacuate around 30 people to safety. Thankfully, there were no injuries.

The flooding at the speedway also led to the postponement of the World of Outlaws races, which were scheduled to take place over the weekend.

Minnesota State Parks

The Midwest’s heavy rains and flooding have also impacted state parks across Minnesota. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has issued warnings to visitors about flooding and damage to roads and trails.

Fort Snelling State Park closed to the public on Saturday, June 22, due to the rising waters of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers. The flooding is expected to submerge the main park road and all parking lots, creating hazardous conditions.

While Fort Snelling is currently the only state park to close completely due to flooding, the DNR has also closed several trails, roads, and amenities in other state parks, forests, wildlife management areas, and aquatic management areas. Trail closures are reported throughout state parks in northeast Minnesota, along with state forest campground closures.

Visitors planning to travel to these areas are advised to check Minnesota’s DNR’s closures webpage for up-to-date information on public lands, roads, trails, and waters.

Individual state park and state forest pages provide specific alerts on flooding impacts. Even if roads and trails are listed as open, conditions can change rapidly, and caution is urged as not all areas have been fully assessed.

The DNR encourages visitors to report any unsafe conditions to ensure dangerous areas are identified and closed promptly, for public safety.

As the Midwest continues to grapple with the aftermath of these severe weather events, communities and authorities remain vigilant, working together to ensure safety and restore affected areas.

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