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Severe storms and heavy flooding have battered the Midwest, killing at least two people and putting a southern Minnesota dam built in the early 1900s at risk of failing, authorities said.
Rapidan Dam near Mankato is “on the brink of failure,” the Blue Earth County government announced in a Facebook post Monday.
“While we do not know whether it will fail completely or remain in place, we have determined that this notice is necessary to advise downstream residents, appropriate regulators and other local agencies,” the county said.
The dam, which was in a “disrepaired state” according to a 2021 survey, was still standing Tuesday afternoon, but the county said there are no plans for a large-scale evacuation at this time.
“We’re not out of the woods yet,” Governor Tim Walz warned at a press conference.
Peak water levels have not been reached in some areas, he said.
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Blue Earth County Emergency Management said flows peaked on Monday and decreased slightly on Tuesday and that officials are continuing to monitor the dam.
Flooding in Blue Earth County is threatening the home of resident Jenny Barnes and her nearby business, The Dam Store, CNN affiliate KARE reported.
“It’s going to happen. I don’t know when, but it’s inevitable that people will lose their homes,” Barnes told KARE.
Known for its homemade pies, the Dam Store has been in business since 1910 and has been owned by the Burns family since 1972.
“It’s our livelihood too. It’s our business, it’s our livelihood. It’s everything to us,” Burns told KARE. “You can’t stop it. It’s going to go where it wants to go. It’s going to take what it wants to take. And everybody’s praying that the Dam Store isn’t taken.”
At a press conference on Tuesday, Minnesota Agriculture Secretary Tom Petersen emphasized farmers’ concerns. While no crop damage is visible from the road, Petersen said aerial photos show “the widespread challenges that farmers are facing.”
Mark VanCleave/AP
A 2021 study by the county found Rapidan Dam is in a state of disrepair.
Waltz said the city of Waterville in nearby Le Sueur County was also “very heavily” affected by flooding, with dozens of homes flooded up to the second floor.
Minnesota National Guard Maj. Gen. Sean Mahnke said at a press conference that the Waterville pumping station was operating around the clock and that more than 40 National Guard members had been deployed to protect critical infrastructure and homes.
Severe flooding has wreaked havoc across the Midwest for days, leaving at least two people dead. A man in his mid-70s died Saturday while trying to drive through fast-flowing floodwaters, according to a spokesman for the Clay County, Iowa, sheriff’s office. An 87-year-old man died the same day in a flood-related accident in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, according to the state highway patrol.
In Iowa, President Joe Biden approved a disaster declaration for some areas following days of devastating flooding and severe storms, freeing up federal funding for relief efforts.
Evacuations were triggered in several parts of Iowa after the Little Sioux River breached its banks Tuesday morning.
The city of Rodney in northern Monona County issued evacuations and roads were closed, the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post Tuesday morning, noting levees had breached in several places.
According to the National Weather Service, officials reported the levee failed around 5 a.m. Tuesday just south of the city of Smithland.
Flood warnings were issued for the city of Rodney, the nearby city of Smithland and other rural areas along the river, officials said.
About 30 miles north, the city of Correctionsville was closed to non-residents due to extensive flooding, according to the Woodbury County Emergency Management Agency.
Further north in Sioux City, the Big Sioux River reached 45 feet – 7.3 feet higher than its all-time high – and authorities said homes along the river were being evacuated Monday. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem said rescue efforts continued Tuesday afternoon.
The governor said the McCook Lake neighborhood in North Sioux City was in “high danger” and that residents were trying to re-enter the area.
Noem said “entire homes have collapsed” into McCook Lake, which is separated from the Big Sioux River by Interstate 29. Neighborhoods saw trees uprooted, power lines swept across roads, drops of 100 feet in places where roads were washed out and other debris, the governor said.
Noem said officials don’t expect water levels to rise much further, but urged residents to stay away from the area as water levels are “slowly” receding.
“It’s not going to be safe for a few days,” Noem said. “If there’s water, don’t drive through it. If there are barricades, don’t drive around them.”
In Minnesota, Blue Earth County officials were first notified on Sunday that Rapidan Dam was “filled with debris,” and officials from the Blue Earth County Department of Public Works, Office of Emergency Management and the Sheriff’s Office are actively monitoring the dam, according to a Facebook post.
The Blue Earth River is flowing west of the dam, carrying destructive debris and causing power outages, according to the Office of Emergency Management.
In an update Monday evening, the county said there had been “a partial failure at the west abutment” but that “the dam remains intact.”
Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune/AP
County officials say Rapidan Dam is at risk of failing, but there are no plans for mass evacuations at this time.
“Our officials are in close contact with Blue Earth County and other local officials regarding Rapidan Dam near Mankato,” Gov. Walz said. statement Monday. “Emergency management is on the scene and acting swiftly as the situation evolves to ensure the safety of Minnesotans.”
Completed in 1910, the dam is owned by the county and has a hydroelectric generating capacity of 6 million watts. It is located about 70 miles southwest of Minneapolis.
According to FEMA, dams can fail for a variety of reasons, including overtopping by floodwaters or structural deficiencies.
A 2021 report from Blue Earth County noted that years of regular flooding and the “passage of time” have caused significant damage to the dam. The report identified two solutions: repair the dam or remove it. The county noted that both options would come with significant costs.
