St. Michael's Schumm to See Duluth Devastation Firsthand

Beyond the sinkholes and seals in the middle of the road, there are many facets to the devastation left behind by flash flooding in Duluth. 

First, it's the inconvenience factor. Chris Schumm, St. Michael City Council member, and fellow city representatives felt that firsthand yesterday when they were told to stay home, as a League of Minnesota Cities conference in Duluth was postponed. 

Calling from Duluth today (Thursday), Schumm said there is damage almost anywhere you look. 

"We went down Highway 61 in one area and there was water up to the middle wall of one restaurant that we saw," Schumm said. "We also were on a stretch of highway where you could tell the water had just receded. We'll get a tour later today. It's going to be pretty intense." 

For Two Harbors native Larry Sorensen, a member of the the damage has hit home. 

Close friends have seen cabins and homes with several inches of water in the basement. 

"Fortunately, my parents are in an area where they're just dealing with some seepage in the basement. It's pretty wet. But other residents are carrying furniture upstairs and putting carpet and sheetrock out on the curb. It's just a mess," Sorensen said. 

Jill Engstrom, a St. Michael native who now is in Duluth, said the scene is "crazy." 

Photos and videos posted by news outlets in Duluth, and all over Facebook, confirm that report. Entire streets have sunk away from curbing. Sinkholes large enough to open entire vehicles have opened, and more could appear as the water recedes and leaves nothing else behind in Duluth's aging storm sewers. 

And then there's the seal, and the rest of his animal friends from the Lake Superior Zoo. 

Donations are being accepted through the Red Cross Northland. If you would like to help, please consider making a donation today by visiting www.redcrossmn.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Contributions may also be sent to your local Northland Chapter of the American Red Cross chapter at 2524 Maple Grove Road, Duluth, MN  55811 or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.