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Sen. Klobuchar, Rep. Peterson Tour Flooding In SW Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The rain has stopped but the work is just beginning in southwestern Minnesota, where flooding remains a problem.

On Sunday, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Collin Peterson spent the day touring some of the areas hit hard last week.

"Kids are supposed to be playing in ballparks, and it's under water," Klobuchar said while visiting Windom.

The town's baseball diamonds are nowhere to be seen, and the road to the public pool is blocked by floodwaters.

"As you can see, you've got houses under water, an entire baseball field, their park," Klobuchar said.

The lawmakers say there's more than $7.7 million in damage in southern Minnesota, so towns like Windom and Tracy will have federal help.

"That means it won't be local tax payers paying for infrastructure," Klobuchar said. "It'll be federal money with some from the state."

Later Sunday, Klobuchar went to New Ulm, about an hour northeast of Windom.

In New Ulm, no homes were damaged here but there are some serious inconveniences.

The Fortwengler family found a giant puddle of floodwater had formed in their neighborhood, causing road closures.

"It's like we're getting an ocean right here," said young Kaden Fortwengler. "It's like the river made a decision to make a bigger ocean."

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