Water-related businesses hit hard
Flooding in the capital region is hurting businesses that depend on summer tourism on the river.
The Padelford Riverboat, which operates out of Harriet Island in St. Paul, has canceled all Mississippi River cruises since Sunday.
The Mississippi River in St. Paul rose eight feet last week.
RELATED: St. Paul cancels private event at Harriet Island Pavilion due to flooding
By Friday evening, the river was expected to reach 20 feet, which is considered major flood level.
“The river is going to do what the river does, we have no control over that,” said Gus Gaspardo, president of Padelford Riverboats. “Our season is very short, and June through September is when we make the majority of our revenue, so that’s a lot of money we’re going to lose.”
So far, cruises through the Fourth of July have been canceled.
He estimates the two-week hiatus will cost the company about $180,000.
“But we’ve lost money and we won’t be able to open for a few weeks, so I can’t sympathize. It breaks my heart to see people losing their homes in southern Minnesota,” Gaspard said. “When you’re in a business that deals with people, you have to care about them, but they have much bigger challenges than I do right now.”
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS also reported on the major flooding that occurred in Mankato and other areas.
Hospitality Minnesota released the following statement to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS about the impact the flooding has had on businesses across the state:
“Hospitality industries from the North Shore to Southern Minnesota have been significantly impacted by weather this year. This flooding, combined with the impacts of a mild winter, will be devastating for these industries. We are surveying our members and the impacts range from two-week closures to partial closures and lack of access to infrastructure like roads, water and utilities. We encourage lawmakers to continue to use all funding mechanisms possible to help these industries recover.”
The Mississippi River at St. Paul is expected to reach 20.8 feet on Saturday and begin receding Sunday.
Visit St. Paul issued the following statement:
“This is prime time for our riverside businesses, so having them close or no longer serving you makes this an incredibly tough time. The way you can support them is to make plans to visit when they reopen, which we hope will be soon. In the meantime, leaving positive reviews and sharing your support for them on social media is a way to support your favorite businesses all year round. While we encourage you to stay out of the floodwaters for now, our website (visitsaintpaul.com) is a great resource to find things to do along St. Paul’s river once it’s safe.”
