For a while late Tuesday afternoon, it seemed as though Central Minnesota was either going to sink or float away.
A line of storms dumped more than 2 inches of water on St. Cloud in a couple of hours before the drops finally stopped about 6 p.m.
And your umbrella might not dry out for the next couple of days.
Forecasts call for 1-3 inches of rain through Thursday, according to Bob Weisman, St. Cloud State University meteorologist.
That could bring about a repeat of flash flooding that occurred Tuesday, bringing cars to a halt on some streets and washing out the St. Cloud River Bats' game.
According to Weisman, a St. Cloud State rain gauge recorded 2.33 inches of precipitation between 4 and 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Low-lying areas, including several intersections in St. Cloud, filled with several feet of water. That caused St. Cloud police to divert traffic and, at least along Veterans Drive just west of 33rd Avenue North, assist drivers whose cars stalled in water that was over the wheel wells.
Other problem areas included Ninth Avenue South and Minnesota Highway 23, 25th Avenue North and Fourth Street, and a section of 18th Street South in the 10th-12th Street area, according to St. Cloud Fire Capt. Pat Ellering.
"We had several intersections closed and several cars stranded," Ellering said. "It was a lot of rain in a short amount of time and the system wasn't able to handle it."
