The St. Louis County Board will meet in an emergency session and is expected to declare a state of local disaster following this week’s heavy rain and flooding event. The Special Emergency Meeting  will take place Thursday, June 20, beginning at 10 a.m. in the Lake Vermilion Room, Virginia Public Works Building, 7823 Highway 135 in Virginia.

Heavy rainfall on already saturated ground has led to road and culvert washouts throughout the county. The northern third of the county appears to have sustained the most rain and resulting damage. Currently 43 county roads are closed, 32 of which are in the northern portion of St. Louis County.

Meanwhile, the St. Louis County Sheriff's Emergency Management Division is in communication with local jurisdictions to begin the process of gathering damage assessment estimates.

St. Louis County Public Works has received a $15,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture's Noxious Weed Program. The funds will be used to combat two invasive plant species that have taken root in St. Louis County: invasive knotweed and wild parsnip. The county is prioritizing these two invasive species because of the risks they pose to people and infrastructure.