Rapidly melting snow in the Twin Cities and across Minnesota is putting local Catholic organizations on high alert.
“It’s everywhere,” Paula Petke-McCarty, claims/risk manager for Catholic Mutual Group, said of the impact of the thaw. “No area has been more affected than another. It was a very bad winter. We had huge amounts of snow.
Catholic Mutual, a St. Paul-based nonprofit organization, administers self-insurance for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. It includes property insurance for all 187 parishes and parish schools in addition to liability insurance.
The Twin Cities recorded a record snowfall of 39 inches in February, breaking the 1962 record of 12.5 inches. It was also the fourth highest monthly snowfall on the subway. Heavy snowfall also fell in the state and other parts of the country, leading to widespread flooding in the Midwest.
Claims from parishes and schools have poured in about damage from ice dams on roofs and water seepage, Petke-McCarty said March 19, though confidentiality has prevented her from disclosing how much.
She said it is the highest claims total she has seen in her seven years with Catholic Mutual. The St. Paul-based insurance company is also reminding parishes and schools of preventative measures, such as cleaning exterior drains and installing drain extensions.
“I really hope, and I believe, that we’re not going to have any flooding here that will affect our churches,” Petke-McCarty said. “We’re obviously going to have some river flooding.”
The Catholic United Financial Foundation is stepping up its storm response efforts as forecasters expect more flooding in the coming weeks. A foundation of Catholic United Financial, the St. Paul-based nonprofit organization supports Catholic schools, chastity education, vocations, and disaster relief. Catholic United Financial is a non-profit charitable corporation in St. Paul.
“We believe the highest levels have yet to be seen,” CUFF executive director Robert Heuermann said on March 19. “We’re kind of holding our breath waiting to see what actually happens.”
The Mississippi, Minnesota and Crow rivers reached significant flood levels, according to the National Weather Service. The Sainte-Croix River experiences moderate floods. Some streets near the Mississippi River in downtown St. Paul were closed and people put out sandbags to prevent further damage from rising waters.
The floods could persist until May, according to forecasters.
Category: Featured, Local News
