Photos: 1965 Flood
From the Photos stories and videos: Looking back at the flood of 1965 in Winona series
View historic photos of the 1965 Mississippi River flood. Photos courtesy of the Winona County Historical Society Archives, Buffalo County Historical Society Archives and reader submissions.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 04 07
As the basic part of the dike-building work was completed in Winona, sandbaggers found time to construct shelters from the often bitter winds and cold rains that assailed them. An unidentified youth spoke over the telephone link in his shelter between the Prairie Island dike and the contractor's shack. These phone lines also were used by the dike patrol.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Boat houses washed out by high water. View from Hwy. 35 south of Alma.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
View of Fountain City from the Mississippi River.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
People sandbagging at the Army Corp of Engineers boatyard in Fountain City.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Sandbags along river in Buffalo City.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The foot of Johnson Street in downtown Winona during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Gene Martin installing a pump outside the Winona Knitting Mill during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Downtown Winona suring the 1965 flood. Bay State Milling is the tall building in the background.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of the boat houses behind the Alma Farmers Union.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of rebuilding the River Road in Buffalo City.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of rebuilding the River Road in Buffalo City.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of an American Crane and a tugboat loading parts off a barge.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of flooding between Hager City and Red Wing.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of Olson house along the Mississippi River on Hwy 35.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of stranded boathouses along the river.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of the Wabasha to Nelson Dike Road.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture from Second Street looking down at the end of Lock & Dam #4.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of the Dairyland Power Station looking south on Main Street.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of the River Road looking North by the Auer Farm on left.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Looking west from Northern States Power plant during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Looking east at Whittaker Marine from Northern States Power plant during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Foreground: Flooded Main Street in Cochrane during the 1965 flood. (Frances Kannel photo)
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of Humbolt and 14th St. in Buffalo City.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture taken from the bridge looking down Second Street in Winona during the 1965 flood. The water was almost up to Third Street.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture taken from the bridge looking down at the levee which is completely under water in Winona during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Hiawatha Drive West in Wabasha during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Alleghany Avenue in Wabasha during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Hiawatha Drive and Pembroke intersection in Wabasha during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Buffalo City Park.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Johnson Street in downtown Winona during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Johnson Street during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
View from the Northern States Power Company steam plant roof looking south to the Watkins building in Winona during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
View from the Interstate bridge, looking at Latsch Island during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Sandbagging at 5A dam.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Taken from the Chicago & Northwestern Depot in Winona during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The pumping of the ground water with sand points driven around the Telephone Co building at the corner of West Third and Johnson streets to prevent water from going in the basement during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Bay State Milling, large buildings, and the foot of Walnut Street to the right during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of the Red Wing Dam.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of Hwy 35 going south towards Fountain City.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture South of Durand.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of Main Street in Alma looking north. The Mississippi is on the left is flowing over the tracks.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
At the Northern States Power are of the coal unloading equipment from barges during the 1965 flood in Winona. The derrick was called a "stiff leg" and put the coal into the hopper and a conveyor belt moved the coal to the coal pile.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Looking north down at the substation transformers from Northern States Power plant during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Sandbags on the River Road in Buffalo City.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Looking southeast from Northern States Power plant during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
On the River Road past the Resort looking south, sandbags laid in the street to protect the houses.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Dike workers were preparing dikes up to 20 feet high in anticipation of record flooding in Winona. Here, they were stretching polyethylene strips across face of embankment. Sandbags were piled over the strips. Army Corps of Engineers said it was quicker and cheaper than ordinary sandbagging methods.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Lake Center Switch, located on the 50 block of Johnson Street in downtown Winona, during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Four-way stop, old Kwik Trip, in Wabasha during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
View from East Second Street in Winona with Northern State Power Company in the background during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Lower East Main Street in Wabasha during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past
Fourth Grant Boulevard and Alleghany Avenue in Wabasha during the 1965 flood. For more historical photos and features, visit our exclusive section at
winonadailynews.com/piecesofthepast/
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Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Clifford Burmeister standing next to their chest freezer that was raised up on blocks.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Sunken boathouse in Buffalo City.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of Steve, Bruce, and Brian Burmeister in Buffalo City.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
View from the Interstate bridge during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
At the Northern States Power are of the coal unloading equipment from barges during the 1965 flood in Winona. The derrick was called a "stiff leg" and put the coal into the hopper and a conveyor belt moved the coal to the coal pile.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The pumping of the ground water with sand points driven around the Telephone Co building at the corner of West Third and Johnson streets to prevent water from going in the basement during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
At the Northern States Power are of the coal unloading equipment from barges during the 1965 flood in Winona. The derrick was called a "stiff leg" and put the coal into the hopper and a conveyor belt moved the coal to the coal pile.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Coal pile near the Northern States Power plant during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Two cars driving south on Hwy. 35 by the Burlington Hotel in Alma.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of the William A. Thompson dredge at Fountain City.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Highway 35 north end of Alma train depot on the left of picture, Burlington Hotel is on the right.
Garrison Keillor at St. Cecilia's
This house is on North Main Street, Alma. Picture shows the sandbagging along Main St. and Selma Burnett & friend standing in front of her home.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 04 08
The Latsch Island marina during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
North side of Alma looking south on Main Street, Hwy. 35. Railroad depot is on the right.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 04 02
Looking south toward Main Street in Alma. The railroad tracks are completely underwater. Sandbags are protecting the lock house of Lock and Dam No. 4.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 03 09
Divers placed dunnage bags in the sewer to stop water during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 03 06
Loaded railroad cars are parked on the bridge crossing the Mississippi River during the 1965 flood. The John Latsch Public Baths building is seen in the background.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 02 10
The Burlington Railroad was put out of commission when water rose over its tracks across the river from Winona. Crews sandbagged buildings at Winona Junction. Water was up to the knees of the man standing on the tracks.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 02 03
The Julius Wilkie and Levee Park during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 02 01
Crew delivering sandbags to a needed area around Fountain City.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 01 03
Water rose above the locks at the Red Wing Dam.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The emergency dike following the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past
A home on Fifth Street in Cochrane, about three days before the crest during the 1965 flood. (Photo provided by Orlin Brommer)
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Three homes on Fifth Street taken from Goose Lake during the 1965 flood. (Frances Kannel photo)
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Deer at the Winona Deer Farm huddle together on a small piece of high ground and are surrounded by floodwaters of the Mississippi River. Feed was taken to them daily by boat. (AP Photo)
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The Norhtern States Power plant coal pile surrounded by water with boats docked during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
At the Northern States Power plant, substation transformers during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of the boat houses behind the Alma Farmers Union.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of the Red Wing Dam.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of flooding between Hager City and Red Wing.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of the Fountain City boatyard.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
View of the River Street in Alma looking north towards the Dam #4.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Flooding in Winona during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Hwy. 35 in downtown Fountain City during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The Mobil gas station along Hwy. 35 in downtown Fountain City during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The Chicago and Northwestern railroad bridge in Winona looking towards Latsch Island during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The Chicago and Northwestern railroad bridge in Winona looking towards Latsch Island during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The Chicago and Northwestern railroad bridge in Winona looking towards Latsch Island during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The Mobil gas station along Hwy. 35 in downtown Fountain City during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Wally's in downtown Fountain City during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Wally's in downtown Fountain City during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Hwy. 54 looking towards the Winona Interstate bridge during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The Golden Frog on Hwy. 35 in downtown Fountain City during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The Walton Cabin during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Meyer Rental at East Front and Laird streets during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The Julius Wilkie and Levee Park during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Levee Park during the 1965 flood in Winona.
1965 Flood
Looking east from the interstate bridge during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Divers placed dunnage bags in the sewer to stop water during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
View of the side street by Rudy’s Red Owl flooded.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Arial view of Red Wing, MN.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
View of Main Street in Cochrane between Rudy’s Red Owl and the bowling alley.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Unknown dam.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of the Dike road between Nelson and Wabasha.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Flooding near Northern Feed and Seed during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Pittsburgh Paint and Glass during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Flooding between Seond and Front streets with Northern States Power Company in the background during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Johnson Street during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Nothern Feed and Seed on Johnson Street during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Looking west with Bay State Milling in background during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
View of east side of Winona during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
East Second Street during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Divers placed dunnage bags in the sewer to stop water during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Divers placed dunnage bags in the sewer to stop water during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
A dirt dike on the east end during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of the Fountain City boatyard.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The Winona dike patrol knew what loneliness was, especially at night. An unidentified member of the patrol walked the Prairie Island dike April 17, the third night of the patrol's existence. With its string of lights, the dike looked like a deserted city street.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Full-time patrolling was conducted by the corps of volunteer watchers in Winona. Here a long stick is used to probe for possible weak spots. Many of the watchers carried portable radios which kept them in constant touch with radio station KWNO, the official communications and warning station.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Norman Indall, left, Oliver Strand and Arnold Stenehjem, standing, manned the Winona dike patrol desk in Civil Defense headquarters when this picture was taken. Indall is taking a call, possibly from one of the dikes reporting a "boil." Volunteer women did clerical work for the dike patrol just as they did for the overal CD effort.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of the sandbagging crew.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
When a secondary dike was constructed along West Fifth Street, east of John Street, placing a wall of sandbags in front of homes and business places, someone placed this sign, "You are now leaving the American sector" on the dike just west of Libera's Store in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Cleo Wolfe, left, and Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Kohner, were among the evacuees housed at the Winona Senior High School shelter. Passing the time of the day was no problem as reading, coffee drinking and conversation took care of many idle moments.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
This is just one of the scenes that was duplicated hundreds of times during Winona's 1965 flood crisis. Here the Red Cross serves hungry dike workers on scene.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Keeping food and utensils categorized was a big job for the Salvation Army in Winona. Here Supply LaVona Clabough, left, local officer, goes over some of the supplies as Major Al Gorton, area disaster chariman, and an unidentified helper check off the list.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
These are the men who directed Red Cross operations during the 1965 flood crisis in Winona. W. E. Morse, disaster chairman, is flanked by his assistants John Januschka (left) and John Curtin.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
When rising waters threatened furniture in his cottage near Homer, Henry C. Jezewski, had it put on a platform near the ceiling. Curtains were pinned up around their rods.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Water has almost covered the first story of this cottage near Fountain City.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Rising waters inundated the Mertes Boat Harbor inlet and rose to the roof of the harbor building.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Ray Pelowski takes a brief rest as he helps move furniture from this east end home, one of those ordered evacuated April 19. Mrs. Robert Lovas is coming out through the doorway. In the background, crews are sandbagging a storm sewer opening -- the cause of the trouble.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Breezy Acres south of Winona appeared to be flooded acres as the river backed into the area and caused considerable flooding at the F. A. Krause Company. Although employees sandbagged against the water, there was considerable flooding inside the building.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The only indication that the Burlington Railroad ran here are the telegraph poles on either side. Buffalo County bluffs are at the right, flooded Delta Fish and Fur Farm to the left. A break in the roadbed here dropped the Winona crest, releasing water to a large floodplain extending right.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Abutments washed on this Burlington Railroad bridge across Trempealeau Bay between Brady's Bluff and Trempealeau Mountain. Water released by breaks in tracks upstream rejoined the Mississippi via the bay.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Locks of Alma Dam 4 were four feet under water, leaving the dam completely detached. The overhead bridge, just left of center, served no purpase during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
La Crescent is in the left background. This resort area was completely cut off by the highwater days before the 1965 crest. Milwaukee Railroad tracks from Minnesota to La Crosse run through the center. Hwy. 61/14, background.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Cochrane never looked like this before, with seven feet of water over the lowest are of town during the 1965 flood. A third of the residents of this village of 458 evacuated. Five-sixths of homes and business places had water, some on the first floor.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The government pier in Lake City, normally 15 feet above water, shows here as only dots along the barge, right center. At height of flood, 32 inches of water covered the pier. The structure to the left is the fishing barge, which was moved to this point during the flood to prevent its floating down the river.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Water was 5 1/2 feet deep in this nearly inundated area of Fountain City. It extended more than three blocks. Eleven business places and a dozen families evacuated.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
3,000 feet of the 2 1/2 mile Nelson-Wabasha dike was washed away in 1965. A gravel buildup here and on many other washouts on the dike were reopened for travel May 8 -- nearly three weeks after the crest.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
When water flooded the lowlands near Bluff Siding and Marshland, it had to find a way back to its usual channel. It pushed against the Green Bay and Western tracks at East Winona until it finally broke through, washing out the dike under the track.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Water rushing through the Green Bay and Western right of way at East Winona undermined the dike that supported the track in 1965. Signal poles and power line supports tipped as their bases were washed away.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Nearly a third of Wabasha was surrounded near the height of the 1965 flood. West Wabasha and St. Elizabeth's Hospital are high and dry in the right lower corner.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Lake Center Switch Company was successful in its efforts to keep its Johnson Street plant in operation during the 1965 flood in Winona. Not a single day of production was lost, thanks to polyethylene, sandbags anf pumps.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
All the news was fit to print in the Leicht Press basement, but the press was not. Seepage water during the crest period submerged the press motors.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Water reached almost to Second Street as the crest reached downtown Winona, and a privately-built dike protected a group of buildings on Second Street, just east of Center Street in 1965. Railroad tracks along Front Street were covered by water.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
As water began to surround Peerless Chain Company buildings along the riverfront in Winona, workmen built a steel bridge to take employees to the buildings in 1965. The plant remained open hroughout the flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The United Building Centers' yard at Second and Kansas streets became the first retail business firm in Winona to close as 1965 flood waters covered the area shortly before the crest reached here.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
As the 1965 crest held, pressures began to build up in Winona's storm sewers, creating the danger of flooding around the sewer opening. Pumps, like this one at Second and Johnson streets, transferred water from storm sewers to the city sanitary sewerage system.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Few shoppers, but plenty of pumps was the order of the day for downtown Winona merchants when the flood had reached its crest in 1965. Most buildings along Second and Third streets had seepage water in their basements, and almost every storekeeper was pumping it out.
Northern States Power Co.
Employees had to use boats to get to the Northern States Power Co. Liberty Street plant during the 1965 flood in Winona. The plant remained open throughout the emergency period, although it had to stop generating electricity when coal piles were flooded.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The Steamer Wilkie recaptured some of its past glory when 1965 flood waters in Levee Park made the old riverboat appear as if it were steaming downt he channel again. A rowboat took the place of cars in the Main Street parking lot.
Pieces of the Past
Uniform of the day frequently was a raincoat during the 1965 flood. Here workers fill sandbags in one of the drizzling rains that fell intermittently during the flood period. In the background is the Chicago and North Western depot. More Pieces of the Past can be found at
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
A relaxed Winona city engineer James Baird was able to show a broad smile after days of crisis when the river began to recede and the city's protective dike system had withstood the test in 1965.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The Amerland bridge between Kellogg and Wabasha in 1965. The Mississippi River to the right off the picture and the old Zumbro River bed met here to cut Wabasha off from the south.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Early in the flood emergency period, crews began constructed privately-financed dikes around the Miller Industries building on East Front Street, along with its neighbor, Winona Industries, in Winona. Whitaker Marine and Manufacturing, Inc., is in the background.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Miller Industries and Winona Industries constructed their own dike to hold back the flood water in 1965.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Armour Agricultural Chemical Co. constructed its own dike and connected it to the city dike (left center) during the 1965 flood in Winona. The dike was successful as it kept the firm dry.
1965 Flood
More than 50 sandbaggers worked at this area where the spillway from Lock and Dam 5A joins the Prairie Island dike during the 1965 flood in Winona. The river was about four feet away from its crest when this corner was reinforces with sandbags and plastic.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Three days before the crest there was considerable seepage behind the Crooked Slough dike in Winona during the 1965 flood. Two pumping stations along the dike kept ahead of the seepage which could have caused serious problems.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Homes and cottages on Prairie Island were flooded as the river reached a new record high in 1965. The river was four feet from its crest when this air view was taken.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Trucks moved hundreds of loads of dirt onto the Mankato Avenue dike to protect the area from flooding in 1965. Trucks entered the dike either from Hwy. 61 or from Mankato Avenue as men and machines raced to finish the dike before the river reached its crest.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Overflow from Sweazey Lake formed a pool on Westfield Golf Course at Fifth Street in Winona during the 1965 flood. A dike built here held back three to six feet of water that otherwise would have spilled across large residential and business areas on the city's west side.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
When a storm sewer erupted at Fifth and Jefferson streets in Winona, contractors worked for 24 hours to build a containment pool, or "chimney," in the street during the 1965 flood. Nearby homes were evacuated since water was 10 feet deep in the pool. Water stopped rising when it reached a level equal to that of the river. Some of the overflow was channelled off to ponding areas controleld by pumps lifting water back into the river.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
His hand on an inflated dunnage bag, Ray Beyers listened closely to instructions on attaching an air hose to the bag during the 1965 flood. He carried a bag into a manhole, placed it in the sewer main leading to the river, then attached the hose which filled it with air to about five pounds of pressure. Beyers, an art glass worker and former Navy diver, responded to a broadcast call for volunteers.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Dike construction at Mankato Avenue continued around the clock as trucks hauled fill to battle the rising waters during the 1965 flood. The white lines marked two areas of dike construction. This air view was taken 10 days before the crest.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Mountains of sand and bales of burlap bags filled yards at street department headquarters on Stone Street in Winona. Sandbags filled here were trucked to points of greatest immediate need.
Pieces of the Past
It was men and machines against time as the Mississippi River inched upward by the hour during the 1965 flood. Prairie Island dike was being reinforced with fill when this air view was taken almost a week before crest.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
On this first day of Civil Defense headquarters operations in Winona, everything had been neatly laid out. CD Director George K. McQuire unhurriedly took a call asking for help on the dikes - the first of hundreds. Communications Chief Roy Evett poured himself some coffee but skipped the asprin which late became a necessity.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Of several borrow pits during the 1965 flood, one of the largest was an excavation made in Glen Echo Addition, near Sugar Loaf in Winona. Huge quantities of soil with high clay content were taken from the pit, formerly the site of four suburban residential lots.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Workers battled to keep ahead of rising waters as they shored up dikes in Winona. At this corner of the Prairie Island levee, men face the riverward side with plastic and sandbags. On the interior side, machines have constantly increased its thickness with fresh earth.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Workers on the dikes during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Forming a secondary defense was this seven-block sandbag levee between John and Wilson streets on West Fifth Street in Winona. It spanned a low area that could have been a channel for flood waters, had the Crooked Slough dike given way. Some homeowners on the riverward side were dismayed but city officials said it was the only practical way to prevent great areas from flooding if the break occurred.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Lake Winon'a level rose early in the 1965 flood threat, then fell to near-normal when pumps went into operation at its outlet and its inlet was blocked. At one time, however, the lake water came almost to the floor of Lake Park Lodge.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Workers on the dikes during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The official river gauge at the Johnson Street pumping station showed the rise of the river level as it edged up to a record crest in 1965.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Westfield golf course looked like this during the 1965 flood period. This shows the upper end of the course, looking west from the clubhouse lawn.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Workers on the dikes during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Workers on the dikes during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Pittsburgh Paint and Glass during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Pumps ran continuously as business owners tried keep the water from the Mississippi River from filling the basements of downtown buildings during the flood of 1965 in downtown Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
View of east Second and Front streets during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past
View from East Front Street in Winona with Northern State Power Company during the 1965 flood. For more historical photos and features, visit our exclusive special section honoring and remembering the city’s history at
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
View of east side of Winona during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Unknown location of damaged railroad tracks during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of the flooding in Buffalo City on the River Road looking north.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of the flooding in Buffalo City on the River Road looking south.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of flooding between Hager City and Red Wing.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture Unknown.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of the Red Wing Dam.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Water consumes Lock and Dam No. 3 in Red Wing.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of the Red Wing Dam.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of the River Road in Buffalo City going south past 6th Street.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Unknown Flooded Area.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of bar in Unknown location.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of a flooded road unknown.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of the boat landing area in Buffalo City along the River Road.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of Durand on Hwy 10 looking at the Chippewa River.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of the flooded Chippewa River with Hwy 10 Bridge in the background. The Durand Co-op on the right.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture from across the street from the Buffalo City Park.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of Hwy 35 going out of Fountain City going south towards Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of the clean-up from the flood in Buffalo City.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of the Baseball Diamond in Fountain City.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
59. Picture of Hwy 35 going through Fountain City.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of the Train depot in Alma looking north.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of County Road OO between Buffalo City and Cochrane.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Unknown Flooded Area.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
At the Northern States Power plant, substation transformers during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Flooded Main Street in Cochrane looking north.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Sandbagging crew working on the River Road in Buffalo City.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Flooded Main Street in Cochrane.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Looking east from Northern States Power plant during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Looking southwest from Northern States Power plant during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Curt Schlosser then a teenager from Buffalo City, a volunteer in Cochrane, during the 1965 flood. This house is near the jct of Main and Fifth streets in the middle of downtown Cochrane. It was taken by neighbor Frances Kannel within a day or two of the flood's crest.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Looking southwest from Northern States Power plant during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Steve, Bruce and Brian Burmeister on an adventure.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Sandbagging efforts working to protect residential housing.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Tractors and pontoons were the two most forms of moving possessions in Cochrane during the 1965 flood. (Frances Kannel photo)
Pieces of the Past
Tractors and pontoons were the two most forms of moving possessions in Cochrane during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Corner of Fifth and Main streets in Cochrane looking south during the 1965 flood. Buildings on left are not part of the primary flood zone today. (Frances Kannel photo)
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
River Road looking north in Buffalo City.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
River Road going south in Buffalo City.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
View of downtown Winona looking east from the Interstate bridge during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
An unknown sandbagged street in Winona during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Gerkens Town and Country Store in Wabasha during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The foot of Johnson Street in downtown Winona during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Flooded field south of Buffalo City.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
West Main Street looking to Beach Park in Wabasha during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture of Clifford Burmeister’s chest freezer that was raised up on blocks before the flood waters started rising.
Pieces of the Past
Hiawatha Drive and Pembroke intersection in Wabasha during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Old Bridge Road in Wabasha during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
West Third Street in Wabasha during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Market Street in Wabasha during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Old Wabasha Resort, now Slippery's, in Wabasha during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
House where Interstate bridge is now in Wabasha during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Flooding on Fourth Grant Boulevard West in Wabasha during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
A dike built along West Fifth Street in Winona during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
My father built this cottage just across the river from Winona in Bluff Siding Wi in 1960. This is a picture five years later during the 1965 flood. After that he had it raised to more the double the height it was and water has not reached the inside since.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
This is the River Road in Buffalo City with the Mississippi River on the right side of the picture.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The Northern States Power Company steam plant surrounded by 1965 flood water in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Steve, Bruce and Brian Burmeister spearing fish in a field between Cochrane and Buffalo City.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
View from the Interstate bridge during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
At the Northern States Power plant taken out of the boat on the way to the plant showing the transmission towers crossing the river during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
View from the Interstate bridge, looking up river during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Near the Northern States Power plant, the St Mary's College Biology Dept "Duck" during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Bob Mrozek on the motor and Jim Mauszycki returning to "work" at the Northern States Power plant during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Hwy. 35 in Fountain City. The Golden Frog Supper Club is on the left and the highway is completely underwater.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
View from the Interstate bridge during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The Northern States Power plant during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The "dock" for the entrance to the Northern States Power plant during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Taken from the Chicago & Northwestern Depot in Winona during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
This is a picture of Lock & dam 5A just south of Fountain City. The picture is taken from the Minnesota side of dam looking towards Wisconsin & Hwy. 35.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Sandbagging crew on a barge in Fountain City.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Corner of Laird and East Second streets during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Corner of Laird and East Second streets during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Sandbagging crew on a barge in Fountain City.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
This picture is taken from a boat on the Mississippi River looking at Wally’s Supper Club in Fountain City.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Location unknown.
Pieces of the Past
This is a picture of the Great Alma Fishing Float boarding station. The water is almost up to the railroad tracks. This picture is looking north towards the dam.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Mrs. Burnett and friend standing in front of her home with a couple of dogs watching the flood waters and traffic going by on Hwy. 35. Picture is looking north on Hwy. 35.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture taken on Hwy 35 north of the Alma dam. Picture is looking south on Main St.at a man with pumping truck and sandbags along the highway.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
North side of Alma, Lock & Dam #4. The locks are under water. Picture from Hwy. 35.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Rieck’s Park shelter and picnic area Hwy. 35.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Picture is taken on Main Street looking north by the Burnett home and the Burlington Hotel.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
River Street flood waters in Alma, looking north towards the dam.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
North side of Alma looking north on Main Street, Hwy. 35. Railroad depot is on the left.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Rieck’s Park shelter and picnic area Hwy. 35.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Rieck's Park north of Alma on Hwy. 35 looking north at the flooding of the Buffalo River.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 04 10
Rifle ready, Donald Zenk stands guard at the intersection of Mankato Avenue and Third Street in Winona. He was one of the National Guardsmen pressed into action guarding arterials in the city areas ordered evacuated April 19.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 04 09
Crews inflate a dunnage bag that would be placed in the sewer to stop water during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 04 04
Students from Cochrane-Fountain City were excused from school for two weeks to help with flood preparation and cleanup during the 1965 flood. (Frances Kannel photo)
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 04 06
A temporary road was installed and used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers down Hwy. 35 in downtown Fountain City.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 04 05
"Lyngholm II," W.S.L. Christensen's cruiser, stood in readiness in front of the home at 303 Winona St. of W.M. Christensen, the boat owner's father. Many residents of low-lying areas had boats near their doors, ready to use if the dikes broke.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 04 03
The levee, looking west near the foot of Huff Street during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 04 01
Minnesota City's boat harbor formed a brilliant pattern against the 1965 flooding river as the river reached its crest April 19. The Minnesota City dike road is in the background.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 03 10
As in any war, men in the lines had time on their hands on many occasions. In such periods, the irrepressible spirit of Winona youthful dike workers was expressed in projects like this visitors' guide sign.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 03 08
Warren Roettiger, foreground, with employees kept water out of the office and showroom at the H & F Roettiger Lumber Company on the west side of Hwy. 35 in Fountain City. Piling things high and continuous pumping of this huge spout of water emerging, right foreground, did the trick.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 03 07
The foot of Johnson Street in downtown Winona during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 03 05
When water is at normal levels, the resort area is called Trempealeau Lakes, but here, the Mississippi River and the lakes area became one. Cottages were ruined by water and debris from Delta Fish and Fur Farm.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 03 03
Latsch Park was completely covered by the river as the Mississippi neared its crest in 1965. The entrance road to the park disappeared in the water at the left. Chicago and North Western railroad cars filled with gravel formed a pattern on the railroad bridge.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 03 02
Looking north at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers boatyard in Fountain City.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 03 04
Sealed and sandbagged windows and barricaded doorways marked the exterior flood protection at the Daily News printing plant on Franklin Street during the 1965 flood. Inside, files were raised and preparations were made to keep water from the immovable equipment. An emergency plan was readied so that the paper could publish, come what may.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 03 01
Flooded area above the Dairyland Power Station south of Alma.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 02 05
The foot of Center Street during the 1965 flood in Winona. The building is now Jefferson's Pub and Grill.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 02 07
The increased volume of official business--and of water--was reflected in this picture taken at the height of the flood. CD Director Geo. K. McGuire talked on one of the five telephones, background. Les Hittner, right, stood by on the amateur radio network that linked CD headquarters with the state.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 02 09
Minnesota Gov. Karl Rolvaag, after visiting Winona's dikes, praised the city's foresight and determination during the 1965 flood. Mayor R. K. Ellings, hand upraised, points of areas of interest as Rep. Frank Theis looks on. Capt. David Lueck, wearing baseball cap, and Alderman Barry Nelson, right, also were in the group.
Pieces of the Past
Van line employees carry a piano from the Robert Griesel house on Franklin Street in Winona, which would have been flooded if dikes had broken there, during the 1965 flood. There were other families, generally in the Sarnia Street area, that also moved furniture and appliances from their homes.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 02 06
A four-way stop in Wabasha during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 02 04
A guardsman at the corner of West Fifth and Olmstead streets in Winona during the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 01 10
Inside the Northern States Power Company steam plant, braces support walls as flood waters were about 20 feet above the basement floor during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 01 09
A sunken boathouse in Buffalo City.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 02 02
Insides Frances Kannel's house in Cochrane at the river's crest. (Frances Kannel photo)
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 01 08
Boats tied to Rudy's Red Owl in Cochrane during the 1965 flood. (Frances Kannel photo)
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 01 06
Max Conrad Field was turned into a placid lake during the height of the 1965 flood.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 01 07
The word went out: Workers were needed to help save Winona from the 1965 flood. Volunteers began flocking to the Minnesota State Employment Service office, which was turned into a 24-hour-a-day recruiting center for the ad hoc army.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 01 05
Dump trucks moved bumper-to-tailgate along Prairie Island dike, just north of Northwest Cooperative Mills. Earthmoving continued around the clock for more than a week.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 01 04
Flood waters near the Winona Knitting Mills in 1965.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 01 01
Much activity centered around the Lake Winona outlet during the 1965 flood. Here, workers fill sandbags to complete the Shive Road dike and pumps pour 20,000 gallons a minute into the ditch to maintain lake levels at safe ranges. Pumping was successful; at one time water in the ditch was 12 feet higher than the lake. Dike gates at center were closed when the river began to rise.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood 01 02
A sandbagging crew rests while they deliver sandbags on the barge near Fountain City.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Crews monitor a dike during the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The emergency dike following the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The emergency dike, now the intersection of Riverview Drive and Prairie Island Road looking east, following the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The emergency dike following the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The emergency dike, now Riverview Drive looking west from Huff Street, following the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
A group of dike workers celebrate their apparent vistory over the flooding Mississippi River in Winona at end of the flood dike on Prairie Island in 1965.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
Building the emergency dike in Winona during the 1965 flood. Winona public schools superintendent A.L. Nelson urged all city high school students 16 years old and older to sign up for flood duty, adding that any who were called to defend the dikes would be excused from classes for the duration.
Pieces of the Past
The emergency dike, now Prairie Island Road looking west, following the 1965 flood in Winona. For more historical photos and features, visit our exclusive section at
winonadailynews.com/piecesofthepast/
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Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The emergency dike, now Prairie Island Road looking south to Riverview Drive, following the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The emergency dike, now Prairie Island Road, following the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The emergency dike, now Riverview Drive looking east, following the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The emergency dike, now Prairie Island Road looking north from Riverview Drive, following the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The emergency dike, now Prairie Island Road looking west with park on left, following the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The emergency dike following the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The emergency dike, now Riverview Drive, following the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The emergency dike, now Riverview Drive looking east, following the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The emergency dike, now Prairie Island Road, following the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The emergency dike, now Prairie Island Road, following the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The emergency dike, now Prairie Island Road, following the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The emergency dike, now Prairie Island Road, following the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The emergency dike, now Prairie Island Road, following the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The emergency dike, now Prairie Island Road, following the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The emergency dike, now Prairie Island Road, following the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The emergency dike, now Prairie Island Road, following the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The emergency dike, now near Riverview Drive, following the 1965 flood in Winona.
Pieces of the Past - 1965 Flood
The emergency dike, now Prairie Island Road looking east, following the 1965 flood in Winona.
1965 flood
Pumps ran continuously as business owners tried to keep the water from the Mississippi River from filling the basements of downtown buildings during the Flood of 1965 in downtown Winona. The river crested at 20.77 feet on April 19, 1965, the highest the river has ever been.
In this Series
Photos stories and videos: Looking back at the flood of 1965 in Winona
These stories were drawn from reports published in the Winona Daily News and La Crosse Tribune during the spring of 1965.
Along the Mississippi River, there was time for warning.
The Minnesota side of the flooding Mississippi seems destined to be hit hardest near the north part of the Sunday News area, the center, and s…
Winona area residents will be watching the April skies for rains that could send area streams over their banks and compound the threat of a fl…
As the water started to rise, our excitement rose with it.
It was my senior year and only a couple of months before graduation. I was in the class of ‘65 at Winona Senior High School. It was Easter weekend.
In spring 1965, I owned a construction company building ponds and did a lot of government work. I also did building site work for the Schwab C…
“We’ve got to work like the devil.”
I’m a knitter. And I recall the flood of 1965 every time I add a skein in the middle of a piece of work.
I was a senior at Winona State University when the 1965 flood hit town. We knew it was coming, as towns upriver suffered great damage. It was …
In 1965, I was 13 and my brother George Girod was 16. Students at WSHS were excused from class to help sandbag the levee. I was too young.
In April of 1965, Mathy Construction of La Crosse, Wis. sent five drivers to Winona to work on the flood: Maynard Oslie, Marvin Peterson, Rink…
The river continued to fall.
When I was a senior in high school we had the flood of ‘65. We were encouraged to find something to do to help our town. I remember my friend …
Wow! It is hard to believe that 50 years has passed since we battled the flood of 1965!
The Mississippi River flood approached a crest — and the crisis — in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area Saturday.
Gary Evans, a former Daily News editor, was one of the lead reporters during the flood of 1965. Below is his account of the flood and the Dail…
I was a member of the National Guard and attended guard meetings in Winona. The Guard was called upon to help with the flood in 1965. I rememb…
The Midwest is getting wetter and wilder, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the mighty Mississippi River will run its banks more often.
In 1965, I was in my 12th year of work as a Bay State Milling Company sales department secretary. Our office was located immediately south acr…
The Flood of 1965 in Winona still lives in the record books and in the memories of those who faced it, fought it, survived it.
Winona and the surrounding areas may be in for some warmer temperatures next week, but in case anyone thought a brutal winter is fully in our …
Grab your waders, Minnesota, it’s going to get wet.
As the first signs of spring flooding emerge this week across southern Minnesota, weather conditions have been nearly ideal for a relatively s…
The Mississippi River has exceeded flood stage in Winona and La Crosse, but so far only minor flooding is expected.
