Rapidan Dam in southern Minnesota experiences partial failure; no plans for mass evacuation
Rapidan Dam in southern Minnesota experiences partial failure; no plans for mass evacuation
Flooding on the Blue Earth River caused an abutment of the Rapidan Dam to partially fail on Monday morning, and it remains in "imminent failure condition."
This is the best summary I could come up with:
On Tuesday morning, Blue Earth County Public Works Director Ryan Thilges said the breach threat has diminished, though officials are still concerned because the dam was built on sandstone bedrock that can further erode.
The structure is intact but water continues to flow around it, eroding the slope and forcing an evacuation of the family home of the owners of the Rapidan Dam Store.
Blue Earth County Sheriff Jeff Wersal said the water level in a "catastrophic event would not be that significant."
Xcel Energy says it has been fortifying several other facilities downriver with sandbags and barriers to protect them if the dam becomes compromised and reaches the substations.
From there, it flows 108 miles north past the cities of Blue Earth, Winnebago, and Vernon Center to Mankato, where it enters the Minnesota River.
The Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission are still assessing the damage.
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