By Erika Hernandez
Jun 25, 2024, 3:05 PM EDT
Residents of Blue Earth County, Minnesota, remain on high alert due to the imminent failure condition of Rapidan Dam, built 114 years agowhile water levels continue to rise.
Blue Earth County Emergency Management officials said in a statement on Facebook that anyone in imminent danger of flooding was notified of the situation.
“The dam is currently intact and There is no evacuation order for Blue Earth County residents. “The situation is being closely monitored by BEC Public Works, Emergency Management and the Sheriff’s Office,” officials noted.
BEC’s alert notice said they did not know whether the dam would fail completely or remain in place, although officials determined it was necessary to issue the alert to inform residents downstream of the dam about the situation, according to Fox 9.
Mankato police and firefighters posted on Facebook Monday afternoon that the water level at the dam was 28 feet. The levee system is built to support a river with a capacity of up to 39.5 feet.
“According to Blue Earth County officials, if the Rapidan Dam is compromised, they estimate there would be up to a 2-foot rise in river levels. “This remains a developing situation and the City of Mankato is confident that the levee system will remain in place and there are currently no areas in the City of Mankato that are under evacuation orders,” the post stated.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and state emergency response officials provided an update on the situation Monday morning.
“We continue to monitor the status of the dam with local officials,” said Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Kristi Rollwagen.
“We became aware of the situation around 4am this morning. We are also looking at cellular communication towers in the area and working to get resources there to support cellular communications. At this time, the integrity of the dam is intact. but we will continue to monitor it and stay aware of what is happening,” she added.
Walz said the structural integrity of the dam has been a concern for a long time.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for the county until 4:30 p.m. Monday.
The station reported that all entrance and exit ramps on Highway 169 at Lookout Drive in Mankato and North Mankato have been closed while officials construct an earthen levee, or a temporary berm or ridge of compacted earth used to divert runoff to a desired location.
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