RAPIDAN TOWNSHIP, Minn. — New aerial images from Tuesday morning show strong water continuing to rush around the breached dam in southern Minnesota.
WCCO
The Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Office says debris started accumulating on Sunday at the Rapidan Dam, a 114-year-old structure located about 10 miles southwest of Mankato, placing it “in imminent failure condition.”
As of Tuesday morning, the dam is still intact and there are no plans for a larger evacuation.
WCCO
Officials said that there had been a partial failure on the west abutment. That’s where part of the river has been diverted, causing erosion and forcing an evacuation of the family home of the owners of the Rapidan Dam Store.
The home is at risk of being swallowed by the raging river waters, with the east side of the house hanging over a cliff.
WCCO
Le Sueur County residents in low-lying areas of the Minnesota River Valley are advised to closely monitor the situation and potentially evacuate, according to the county’s emergency management office.
WCCO
In 1972, the historical society says the county board ruled the dam should either be rebuilt or torn down since the dam would cause “considerable damage” to the surrounding areas should it collapse.
To address safety concerns, engineers added more concrete reinforcement to the Rapidan Dam in the 1980s. The National Society of Professional Engineers called the renovations “one of the top engineering feats of 1986.”
The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning for areas downstream until 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.
WCCO
Meanwhile, Iowa residents have needed rescue from record-setting flooding. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said water in some areas rose above records from 1993, a flood many in the Midwest remember as the worst of their lives. The floods have also hit parts of South Dakota and Nebraska.
The Minnesota National Guard has been activated to help with the toll. Gov. Tim Walz declared a peacetime emergency for the state over the weekend, which allowed the National Guard to deploy.
