When the folks in Henderson look out at the frozen landscape, they see a threat.
Those in the Minnesota River town know that when winter gives way to a spring thaw, the waterways will spill over and the roads into town probably will have to close.
Long detours keep business away from main street, force residents to spend more money to commute and keep students on the bus longer as they trek to the consolidated district's schools in Henderson and neighboring Le Sueur.
A 10-minute ride to school can take almost an hour, said Henderson Mayor Paul Menne. To accommodate the longer commute last year, district officials shortened the school day at the Henderson school for at least two weeks during an extended flood season, he said.
"It adds to transportation costs and takes away school time," Menne said.
And that has him and other residents fearing the district may close and not replace its only public school in Henderson, where about 1,000 people live, compared to 4,000 people in Le Sueur.
"If you close our school, you fundamentally change the future of our community," Menne said. "It's one of the first signs that a town is going to be in decline."
Currently, district students in prekindergarten through third grade attend school in Le Sueur. So do students in sixth through 12th grade. Fourth- and fifth-grade students attend school in Henderson. A charter school that serves 20 communities is also located in Henderson.