Catastrophic flooding in Minnesota leaves "entire communities under feet of water" as lakes reach "uncontrollable levels"

Flooding that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has described as "catastrophic" has taken over much of the state, leaving "entire communities under feet of water."

Officials in Waterville said their area is experiencing the worst flooding in its history and that the Minnesota National Guard has been activated to help with the toll. Walz declared a peacetime emergency for the state over the weekend, which allowed the National Guard to deploy.

"Across the state, intense rain has had catastrophic effects. Flooding has left entire communities under feet of water, causing severe damage to property and numerous road closures," Walz said.