Rapidan Dam, located around 70 miles southwest of Minneapolis, was built between 1908 and 1910. It is currently struggling to withstand the relentless force of the waters and accumulated debris in the swollen Blue Earth River. The situation has already affected approximately 45,000 residents of the nearby city of Mankato and the other 25,000 residents of Blue Earth County.
After a weekend of heavy rainfall, aerial footage showed how floodwaters engulfed a house and washed away the Xcel Energy substation. This substation, crucial for supplying power to nearby customers, has compounded the crisis with widespread power outages.
The flooding has caused power outages and forced the closure of several bridges across the river. Critical infrastructure, including bridges on County Road 33 and County Road 90, are being monitored for debris accumulation. Nearly 20 road closures have already been announced, with additional closures possible as conditions evolve. The city of North Mankato is proactively constructing a levee to protect lower parts of the city, assuring residents that these measures are precautionary.
All this led to the erosion of the dam's western embankment, which sent torrents of water cascading over the structure. On June 23, debris began piling up at the dam, which intensified the risk as the river eroded the west side of the structure. (Related: Damage at Glen Canyon Dam could jeopardize water supplies in Western U.S.)
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Residents have taken to social media to express their concerns and share their experiences. One user commented about their sister needing a boat to evacuate her home near Sanger Pit, a park northeast of the dam. Another user hoped that emergency services would rescue animals from nearby Sibley Park.
Terri Baumgarteer, a resident of Watonwan County's Madelia, around 15 miles west of the Rapidan Dam, described the rapid rise of floodwaters in the Watonwan River, a tributary of Blue Earth River: "We noticed a little bit on the back of the yard yesterday morning. We had family watching the house for us during the day, and then between 7 and 9, it just shot up."
Blue Earth County residents warned of dam's "imminent failure condition"
In response to the growing crisis, Blue Earth County Emergency Management has issued a critical alert to county residents that the dam was in "imminent failure condition."
"We do not know if it will totally fail or if it will remain in place; however, we determined it was necessary to issue this notification to advise downstream residents and the correct regulatory agencies and other local agencies," the office announced in a statement.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and state-level emergency officials have also reportedly been closely monitoring the situation and have already sent instructions to residents in nearby low-lying areas to evacuate immediately.
"Emergency management is on the ground and acting quickly to ensure the safety of Minnesotans as the situation develops. No changes to the dam structure are being proposed at this time. Surrendering the exemption simply means that the FERC [Federal Energy Regulatory Commission] would no longer have regulatory authority over the dam," Walz said.
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning for thousands downstream, effective until 4:30 p.m. on June 25. Other nearby cities, including Fairmont, are also in the flash flood radius and are bracing for potential impacts. Blue Earth County officials are currently enacting the Rapidan Dam Emergency Action Plan, coordinating efforts to address the unfolding disaster. Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Kristi Rollwagen emphasized continuous monitoring and resource deployment to support affected areas.
Furthermore, the Minnesota National Guard has been mobilized as a precautionary measure, with troops and emergency services actively assisting in evacuation efforts and flood management. Local law enforcement and emergency responders are on high alert, working to ensure the safety of residents and mitigate further damage.
Disaster.news has more articles about recent weather events and natural disasters.
Watch this short clip of floodwaters breaking through one part of the Rapidan Dam.
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