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The Rapidan Dam in Blue Earth County, Minnesota, is on the verge of bursting, and local residents are on high alert as water levels continue to rise.
Blue Earth County Emergency Management posted on Facebook that people in immediate danger of flooding have been notified of the situation.
“The dam is currently intact and no evacuation orders have been issued for Blue Earth County residents,” officials said. “The BEC Department of Public Works, Office of Emergency Management and the Sheriff's Office are closely monitoring the situation.”
FOX9 in Minneapolis reported that the warning notice from the BEC said it was unclear whether the dam would completely fail or remain intact, but officials decided the notice needed to be sent out to let residents downstream of the dam know what was happening.
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Local officials say the Rapidan Dam in Blue Earth County, Minnesota, is on the verge of bursting. (Photo by Randy Hanson/TMX)
Mankato Police and Fire posted on Facebook Monday afternoon that the water level at the dam was 28 feet. The levee system is built to withstand a maximum river capacity of 39.5 feet.
“According to Blue Earth County officials, if Rapidan Dam is compromised, river levels are projected to rise by up to two feet,” the post read. “This is still a developing situation and the City of Mankato is confident that the levee system will hold up, and no areas within the City of Mankato are currently under evacuation orders.”
The post also noted increased Xcel Energy activity in the Sibley Park area, with 170 Xcel employees and about 400 pieces of equipment mobilized to help protect a nearby substation.
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A building was swept away near Rapidan Dam. (Photo by Randy Hanson/TMX)
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and state emergency officials provided an update on the situation Monday morning.
“We continue to monitor the situation at the dam with local officials,” said Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Christy Rohrwagen. “We became aware of the situation around 4:00 this morning. We are also assessing cell towers in the area and are working to send resources there to support cellular communications. At this time, the integrity of the dam has not been compromised, but we will continue to monitor and understand what is happening.”
Waltz said the dam's structural integrity has long been in question.
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To make matters worse, the National Weather Service issued a flood warning for the county until 4:30 p.m. Monday.
The sheriff's office reported that all on- and off-ramps to Highway 169 at Lookout Drive in Mankato and North Mankato were closed while officials constructed berms, temporary banks or ridges of compacted soil used to channel runoff water to its intended location.