Rising water is washing out roads and threatening property in Clay County

When Mark Dohn came home from 20-hours of clearing snow yesterday evening, the last thing he expected to see was his house surrounded by a modern day moat.

MARK DOHN - Homeowner, Clay County: “Well we've been here for 15 years and this is the worst it's ever been.”

His shop now sits under more than two feet of water.

Dohn: “A bunch of stuff is ruined back there. I've got cars back there that never gotten any water in there before.”

It's not just homeowners who are being affected. Overland flooding has already washed out many county roads.

BILL BERGQUIST - Clay County Sheriff: “As you can see here, mainly it's because of all the snow and ice that are still in the ditches that water is still not moving yet.”

County Road 71 just north of Downer has a virtual river flowing over it, while Highway 52 near Dohn's home has been reduced to one lane in parts. Nobody knows for sure yet how this spring flood will compare to years past.

Dohn: “1997 was supposedly the worst, you know, the worst flood here we've had around here, but nothing that's come up like this and come back in.”

But for Dohn, it's already the most frustrating. Clay County officials want to remind drivers to never go around the barricades blocking washed out roads.

Tags: reporter stories, bill schammert, clay county, flood, news, home, dohn