A Minnesota dam is on the brink of collapse due to flooding
Trees and a building were caught on camera being washed away as a dam in Rapidan, Minnesota, failed on June 24.
(CNN) — A dam in southern Minnesota built in the early 1900s is in “imminent failure condition,” according to local authorities, as communities across the Upper Midwest continue to deal with major flooding from heavy rains.
The Blue Earth County government announced the risk to the Rapidan Dam near Mankato, Minnesota in a Monday Facebook post.
“The Dam is in imminent failure condition,” the county said. “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 Rapidan Dam in Minnesota is in “imminent failure condition,” according to local authorities on June 24. (Photo credit: Mark Vancleave/AP via CNN Newsource)
The county added that they had first been notified of “accumulating debris” at the dam Sunday. Workers from Blue Earth County Public Works, the emergency management agency, and the sheriff’s office are actively monitoring the dam, according to the Facebook post.
A 2021 study said the dam was in a “state of disrepair.”
The warning over the dam comes after severe flooding wreaked havoc across the Midwest over the weekend, leaving at least one person dead in South Dakota and prompting rescue efforts in multiple states.
Over the weekend, days of torrential rain produced dangerous flash flooding across the state of Iowa on June 22-23. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation for 21 counties.
In Iowa, days of catastrophic flooding and severe storms prompted President Joe Biden to approve a disaster declaration for some areas, freeing up federal funding for relief efforts.
While much of the heavy rain has stopped, flood warnings are still in effect for Mankato, parts of southern Minnesota, South Dakota and Iowa.
The Blue Earth River has cut around the west side of the dam, emergency management said, carrying damaging debris in its wake and causing power outages.
In a Monday evening update, the county noted that although there was a “partial failure on the west abutment,” the “dam is still intact” and there are currently no plans for a “mass evacuation.”
“Our agencies are in close contact with Blue Earth County and other local officials regarding the Rapidan Dam near Mankato,” Gov. Tim Walz said in a statement Monday. “Emergency management is on the ground and acting quickly to ensure the safety of Minnesotans as the situation develops.”
The dam, which was completed in 1910, is owned by the county and is capable of generating 6 million watts of hydroelectric power. It’s about 70 miles southwest of Minneapolis.
Dams can break for a number of reasons, including overtopping due to flooding and structural failure, according to FEMA.
A 2021 report from Blue Earth County noted that regular flooding over the years, along with the “toll of time” have caused significant damage to the dam. The report identified two solutions: repair or remove the dam. The county noted that both options have significant costs.
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