Mayor Don Ness has declared a state of emergency in the city of Duluth, citing "significant damage, debris and popped manholes." "We have a coordinated response with city, county, State Patrol, Coast Guard, Red Cross, and the feds ready to help,” Ness wrote.
Evacuations are under way in the Fond du Lac neighborhood of Duluth and Thomson Township in Carlton County, and officials at the Lake Superior Zoo are assessing damage and counting their losses after animals drowned and some escaped in the flooding. Duluth fire and police crews helped zoo staff track down escaped animals, including the polar bear and a seal. Johnson said many of the zoo’s animals have drowned, including all but one of the zoo’s barnyard animals.
Dean Melde, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said an inch of rain usually equates to between 10 and 12 inches of snow. So the current system could have dropped 60 and 70 inches of snow on Duluth.
Personally, I am devastated by the loss of life at the zoo. Because we humans need to keep animals penned up for our "viewing pleasure" those animals have died. I am greatly saddened by this.