Weather reminders from Olmsted County and the City of Rochester Emergency Management

Flood watch issued for our entire region

  • News
  • Jun 21, 2024

The weather forecast for Southeast Minnesota is for severe weather, including high winds and heavy rainfall, Friday, June 21, 2024, and Saturday, June 22, 2024. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a flood watch covering the entire region through Saturday afternoon. 

The City of Rochester and Olmsted County Emergency Management teams are taking this opportunity to share important reminders about the severe weather and the outdoor warning system in place throughout Olmsted County.

  • Monitor conditions for worsening weather—especially during watches and warnings. 
  • Already saturated ground means an increased potential for downed trees and power lines. Never go near downed lines, and always assume they are energized. 
  • Localized flooding and street closures are possible. Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or through any moving water.
  • A limited number of sandbags are available for residents experiencing localized water problems (widespread flooding is not expected). They can be picked up at the Public Works and Transit Operations Center (PWTOC), 4300 E. River Road NE. Residents are asked to return the sandbags to the PWTOC after the weather event has subsided.
  • There are nearly 100 outdoor warning sirens in Olmsted County and are meant to warn people who are outdoors only.
    • They are not just for tornadoes--criteria include winds of 70 mph or hail two inches in diameter or more.
    • If you hear the sirens, check with a trusted weather source for more information.
    • With severe weather, it is not always possible to sound the sirens in a timely manner, so you should not wait to hear them before taking action to protect yourself and others.

The NWS, city, and county send severe weather alerts to wireless phones and devices. If you'd like to receive them, be sure you have those alerts enabled. The siren testing schedule in the summer (April – September) is an actual three-minute activation on the first Wednesday of each month and a quiet test every Wednesday thereafter. Local weather forecasts and information about watches and warnings are available from the local National Weather Service website.