Photo courtesy of Ashley Potter Deep water in the area outside The Escape Spa and a nearby road construction zone was still there in the early hours of Saturday morning, said Marshall business owner Ashley Potter. Areas of Marshall experienced flooding after anywhere from 5-8 inches of rain fell in parts of the community Friday night.

MARSHALL — Cleanup efforts are ongoing, after parts of Marshall got close to 8 inches of rain in the space of a few hours Friday night. Flooding from the downpour affected homes, businesses and even facilities like Marshall Middle School and the Avera Marshall Medical Center campus.

“We had a foot of water inside our store,” said Rita Smidt, owner of the Dairy Queen on Country Club Drive. “It was coming in through both doors.”

A few different businesses in the area around West College Drive, Country Club Drive and South Second Street reported significant flooding. Ashley Potter, owner of The Escape Spa, estimated that the water in the parking lot outside her business Friday night was 3 feet deep in places. Inside, the spa building’s sump pumps failed and the sewer backed up, leading to a flooded basement.

“We were there all night,” Potter said. She said family and friends pitched in to help clean up over the weekend.

The amount of rain that fell Friday night varied around Marshall, said meteorologist Jeff Chapman at the National Weather Service office in Sioux Falls. The official rainfall measurement at the NWS cooperative observer station, located on the north edge of Marshall, was 3.49 inches. The Marshall airport received 4.74 inches of rain.

“In mid- and southern Marshall, reports were between 5 and 8 inches,” Chapman said. “The highest (rainfall) report we received was 7.8 inches.”

The city of Marshall declared a state of emergency over the weekend, which can help make it possible to authorize aid or assistance for people affected by the storm. In a message Monday, Marshall Mayor Bob Byrnes said the city of Marshall and Lyon County were working together for flood damage response.

“We would ask homeowners and businesses that did experience damage, that they report that, just so we have documentation on the level of damage that occurred and the types of damage,” Byrnes said.

A link to a survey for reporting flood damage is available on the city of Marshall’s Facebook page. If people have questions or need help filling out the form, they can contact City Hall during regular business hours.

Lyon County has also organized a temporary transfer station for people to drop off flood-damaged debris like carpet, sheet rock or furniture. The transfer station is open from 3-7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Lyon County fairgrounds.

Byrnes said Friday’s flooding came mainly from having several inches’ worth of rain fall in a short time

“This was not a river flooding event. This was a neighborhood flooding event, just because of the volume of water that overwhelmed the stormwater management system within the city,” he said. After the storm, the Marshall wastewater plant was receiving about eight times its normal flow, Byrnes said Saturday.

So far this year, Marshall has received a total of 18.81 inches of precipitation, which is about 2.5 inches above normal, Chapman said.

Marshall’s record for highest one-day total of rain is 8.07 inches, which fell in June 1957. That record-setting rainstorm caused widespread flooding in Marshall.

Friday’s downpour caused some water damage at both the Avera Marshall Medical Center campus and at Marshall Middle School. A total of seven residents at the Morningside Heights Care Center were transferred to an Avera care center in Granite Falls, while Avera Marshall responded to water damage in part of the lower level of Morningside Heights.

Over the weekend, the public was asked to only come to the hospital for emergencies or scheduled appointments. By Monday, Avera Marshall’s Bruce Street campus was open as normal, said hospital spokesperson Stacy Neubeck. However, cleanup work was still going on at Morningside Heights.

Tricia Stelter, director of operations at Marshall Public Schools, told school board members Monday that the middle school had “pretty significant flooding.” The water got in through different sources like window leaks, roof drains and sewer backups.

“We’re still identifying exactly where it came in,” said MPS Superintendent Jeremy Williams. One wing of the school, as well as the cafeteria and the school board meeting room, was affected by flooding.

Stelter said school district staff started responding early Saturday morning.

“On Saturday, our purpose was to come in here and get the water cleaned up,” Stelter said. After that, classroom furniture was moved into the cafeteria. On Monday, contractors were working on plumbing and damaged flooring in the middle school’s F wing.

Stelter said other MPS school buildings weathered the storm well. Features like drainage basins near Southview Elementary appeared to have done their job. The school district’s focus will be to have the affected parts of the middle school sanitized and repaired in time for school to start in the fall, Stelter said.

Homes and businesses around Marshall have been working to clean up, as well. At the little Dairy Queen, “We spent all day Saturday cleaning and sanitizing and everything,” Smidt said. She said restaurant supplies that were stored on lower shelves had to be thrown out. A supply shipment was expected to arrive today, she said.

Smidt said it was hard having a flood event on top of dealing with highway construction near her business.

“Our business is down because of construction, and with this (flood) we were closed for a day,” she said.

Potter said the upper level of The Escape was able to reopen Monday, but the business was facing losses from the flooding.

“We’re trying to keep a positive attitude. We know we’re not the only ones affected,” Potter said. “Our hearts are breaking for everyone in the community.”