Heavy rain is causing more flooding in northwest Minnesota. Areas that were hit with heavy rain two weeks ago were inundated again over the weekend. Up to a foot of rain was reported in areas around Mahnomen. Many homes in and around Mahnomen were flooded, and downstream in places like Ada, crews are scrambling to raise levees.

	Parts of the Wild Rice River basin got twelve inches of rain from the overnight storms. Rising water closed every road in Mahnomen County. (MPR Photo/Dan Gunderson)

About the only way into Mahnomen on Sunday was to fly, or drive across a half mile stretch of flooded state highway 59.

Torrential rains caused streets and basements in Mahnomen to flood early Sunday. By later in the day, the Wild Rice River was threatening homes on the south side of town.

Friends and neighbors helped Brent Amundson built a sandbag dike down is driveway and across the backyard. his garage was already filled with about a foot of water.

"I've been here almost 40 years and I've never seen it come across the bridge, and I 've never seen it come across the road," he said. "I've had a little bit in my basement at times, nothing serious. But I've never had to sandbag the driveway to save the house and now we have to go all the way across three yards and save three houses."

Amundson says they are working to save as much as possible. He looks at the sandbag line.

"We're debating where to go here. If you try to save one house you're going to lose somebody else's. That's not really fair. They're neighbors and friends. You don't do that to them."

	The people of Mahnomen built dikes to hold back the rising Wild Rice River. Some of the people joined the sandbag line after being evacuated from their homes. (MPR Photo/Dan Gunderson)

A few blocks away friends and strangers were fighting to save Stan and Bev Gunderson's home. The Wild Rice River lapped against a hastily built sandbag dike a few feet from the house. The Gunderson's son Jamie says he knew the situations was serious when he watched the water roll over a permanent dike.

"Never seen nothing like it in my life," he says. "I don't know. Just try to keep up with the river. Try to keep up with the river and then the cleanup afterwards. Going to be a lot of cleanup afterwards."

Bev Gunderson sits heavily on a pile of sandbags. She's soaking wet and covered with sand.

"We've been at it since..."

She pauses.

"I couldn't even tell you what time. It's never, ever done this. Ever."

A couple hundred yards away the Shooting Star Casino is high and dry, as is most of downtown Mahnomen. Most homes in town flooded when sewers backed up into basements, but a couple dozen homes are directly threatened by the river.

	The Minnesota State Patrol advised against any travel in Mahnomen County. Cars made their way along Highway 59, the only passable road in and out of Mahnomen. (MPR Photo/Dan Gunderson)

Downtown at the fire hall an emergency command post has been set up. Sheriff Richard Rooney has a phone in one hand and a two way radio in the other.

"Is there any way we can get someone to fly some sandbags in here?"

The Sheriff is trying to get sandbags from Crookston and Grand Forks, but with roads under water it's a challenge.

Sheriff Rooney says damage is worse in outlying parts of the county. Many roads are washed out making it hard to assess damage. Many families have been evacuated from rural homes.

The Red Cross has set up a shelter at the Mahnomen High School. Courtney is there with his girlfriend and a half dozen children. They live a few miles east of Mahnomen.

"Our basement flooded say, just above the waist," he says. Electricity went out and water went out so, that's why we're here."

At mid-afternoon Red Cross worker Marla Hock is unsure how many people to expect. She says a few folk have called to say they may need a place to sleep. Others have found shelter with family or friends. It's still unclear how many people have been forced from their homes.

"We're here as long as they need us to be here. We hope it's short term for their sake, but we're prepared to be here as long," she says

Soon people in Mahnomen county will be starting to cleanup and assess damage. The floodwater continues to roll west toward Twin Valley and Ada.