Floods have caused major damage to a dam in Minnesota. According to local authorities, the Rapidan dam is in a state of “imminent failure” – although it has not yet completely broken, the swollen river has flowed past it. The waves also washed away part of the transmission infrastructure.
The Rapidan Dam in south-central Minnesota is in a state of “imminent failure,” according to the Blue Earth County Sheriff's Office, which notified local residents of the possible danger. The services reported that on Monday there was damage to the slope around the dam, which caused water to flow past it.
Restaurant on the edge
The dam, dating from 1910, is primarily threatened by debris and waste that has accumulated along the Blue Earth River during days of rising water levels and is now being carried downstream.
Currently, the situation is being monitored, but no mass evacuation orders have been issued. Some residents told local media that the sheriff's office called them Monday morning to warn them about rising water levels. Among them were the owners of the over a hundred-year-old Rapidan Dam Store restaurant, which was located on the edge of the washed out slope.
– This is our whole life, our source of income – said the owner of the premises. – It will happen. We don't know when, but the destruction of this building seems inevitable.
Power outages
Electricity provider Xcel Energy said Monday that nearly 600 customers were left without power after floodwaters washed away a substation located near the dam. Local authorities are aware of the power outages and are monitoring the condition of several nearby bridges in case they need to be closed due to potential damage.
The Minnesota National Guard sent about nearly 50 soldiers to downstream towns to help fight the flooding. Emergency management officials in nearby Le Sueur County added that hundreds of volunteers have signed up to fill thousands of sandbags over the past few days.
Main photo source: Reuters