![Late Tuesday night, a house on the edge of the Blue Earth River near Minnesota's Rapidan Dam collapsed because of severe erosion caused by a partial failure of the dam earlier in the week. This incident occurred amid one of the area's most severe floods on record. Despite the damage, officials confirm the dam is intact and there are no plans for a mass evacuation.](https://san.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/rapidan-dam-CLEAN-REUTERS.jpg?w=1920)
Severe flooding, erosion around Minnesota dam causes house collapse
Wednesday
By Lauren Taylor (Anchor), William Jackson (Producer), Jake Maslo (Video Editor)
Late Tuesday, June 25, a house on the edge of the Blue Earth River near Minnesota’s Rapidan Dam collapsed due to severe erosion caused by a partial failure of the dam earlier in the week. This incident occurred amid one of the area’s most severe floods on record.
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Center 72%
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Home on 114-year-old Minnesota dam partially collapses into river
Click to see story on The Independent
Swollen river claims house next to Minnesota dam as flooding and extreme weather grip the Midwest
Click to see story on Associated Press News
Video shows moment house collapses into river near failing dam
Click to see story on CNN
Midwest flooding devastation comes into focus as flood warnings are extended in other areas
Click to see story on The Toronto Star
Swollen river claims house next to Minnesota dam as flooding and extreme weather grip the Midwest
Click to see story on Coast Reporter
Swollen river claims house next to Minnesota dam as flooding and extreme weather grip the Midwest
Click to see story on Sask Today
Swollen river claims house next to Minnesota dam as flooding and extreme weather grip the Midwest
Click to see story on Flin Flon Reminder
Swollen river claims house next to Minnesota dam as flooding and extreme weather grip the Midwest
Click to see story on Star Tribune
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on Koco News5
Swollen river claims house next to Minnesota dam as flooding and extreme weather grip the Midwest
Click to see story on The Seattle Times
UPDATE : Part of house on west bank of dam falls into river
Click to see story on Mankato Free Press
Click to close
Midwest flooding devastation comes into focus as flood warnings are extended in other areas
Click to see story on Winnipeg Free Press
Extreme weather, flooding grip US Midwest
Click to see story on VOA News
Swollen river claims house next to Minnesota dam as flooding and extreme weather grip the Midwest
Click to see story on Washington Top News
Midwest flooding devastation comes into focus as flood warnings are extended in other areas
Click to see story on WPLG
Swollen river claims house next to Minnesota dam as flooding and extreme weather grip the Midwest
Click to see story on News 4 JAX
Midwest flooding devastation comes into focus as flood warnings are extended in other areas
Click to see story on Pioneer Press
Midwest flooding devastation comes into focus as flood warnings are extended in other areas
Click to see story on WKMG
Swollen river claims house next to Minnesota dam as flooding and extreme weather grip the Midwest
Click to see story on Click on Detroit
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on KCRA 3
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WCVB
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WLWT
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WMUR
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WLKY
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WESH
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WDSU
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WTAE
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WYFF
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on KCCI
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on KMBC
Midwest flooding devastation comes into focus as flood warnings are extended in other areas
Click to see story on KOB 4
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WISN
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WBAL-TV
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WPTZ
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WMTW
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WVTM
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WAPT
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on KOAT
Midwest flooding devastation comes into focus as flood warnings are extended in other areas
Click to see story on WCBD
Receding Midwest floodwater exposes devastation as warnings extend into other areas
Click to see story on OPB
Swollen river claims house next to Minnesota dam as flooding and extreme weather grips the Midwest
Click to see story on The Columbian
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WPBF
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WGAL
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WXII
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on KSBW
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WJCL
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on KHBS
Swollen river claims house next to Minnesota dam as flooding and extreme weather grip the Midwest
Click to see story on KSN News Wichita
Severe flooding, erosion around Minnesota dam causes house collapse
Click to see story on Straight Arrow News
House falls into river near dam amid catastrophic Midwest flooding
Click to see story on KLTV
Click to close
Midwest flooding devastation comes into focus as flood warnings are extended in other areas
Click to see story on National Post
House near Rapidan Dam falls into Blue Earth River in Minnesota
Click to see story on Inforum
Extreme weather grips Midwest, Blue Earth River claims house in Minnesota
Click to see story on The Blade
Click to close
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Untracked Bias
Midwest flooding devastation comes into focus as flood warnings are extended in other areas
Click to see story on My Mother Lode
Midwest flooding devastation comes into focus as flood warnings are extended in other areas
Click to see story on Airdrie City View
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on MOR-TV
Surging Minnesota river ‘swallows’ house as extreme flooding batters the Midwest
Click to see story on Express US
Swollen river claims house next to Minnesota dam as flooding and extreme weather grip the Midwest
Click to see story on thealbertan.com
Click to close
59 other sources covering this story
Total News Sources
59
Leaning Left
11
Center
39
Leaning Right
4
Last Updated
5 days ago
Despite the damage, officials confirm the dam is intact and there are no plans for a mass evacuation.
Caught on camera: A house teetering on the edge of the Blue Earth River near the Rapidan Dam collapsed into the river Tuesday night. pic.twitter.com/noqb3uIs4D
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) June 26, 2024
The flood swept away an electrical substation along the river’s west bank, near the iconic Rapidan Dam Store, a treasured local landmark managed by the Barnes family for decades. The family also owned the house that was carried away.
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The Barnes family evacuated their home just in time, watching it fall into the swollen river after the breach in the dam’s west abutment. The Barnes consider themselves fortunate to have escaped unharmed.
Jenny Barnes, the owner of the Rapidan Dam Store, expressed the severity of the situation.
“That’s our business; that’s our livelihood,” Barnes said. “It’s everything to us. There’s no stopping it. It’s going to go where it wants to go. It’s going to take what it wants to take.”
Blue Earth County Emergency Management reported that the channel around the dam’s west abutment has widened and deepened, with most of the water now bypassing the dam’s gates. Although the water flow has slightly decreased, it remains challenging for emergency mitigation efforts. The focus of emergency services has shifted from the dam to assessing the stability of a nearby bridge.
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The Rapidan Dam, more than a century old and previously capable of generating 6 million watts of hydroelectric power, has deteriorated over the years due to regular flooding and aging infrastructure. A 2021 county report presented officials with a critical decision: repair or remove the dam.
Authorities continue to monitor for potential downstream impacts, part of a broader pattern of extreme weather, including torrential rains and flooding, that has caused widespread devastation across the upper Midwest.
[lauren taylor]
A HOUSE TEETERING ON THE EDGE OF THE BLUE EARTH RIVER NEAR MINNESOTA’S RAPIDAN DAM COLLAPSED DUE TO SEVERE EROSION LATE TUESDAY NIGHT. AS THE AREA SEES ONE OF IT’S MOST SEVERE FLOODS EVER RECORDED.
DESPITE THE DAMAGE, OFFICIALS CONFIRM THE DAM IS STILL INTACT AND THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO PLANS FOR A MASS EVACUATION.
THE FLOOD ALSO SWEPT AWAY SEVERAL BUILDINGS ALONG THE RIVER’S WEST BANK, INCLUDING THE ICONIC RAPIDAN DAM STORE, A TREASURED LOCAL LANDMARK MANAGED BY THE BARNES FAMILY FOR DECADES. NEARBY, LARGE TREES WERE UPROOTED AND CARRIED OFF BY THE TURBULENT WATERS.
THE BARNES FAMILY EVACUATED JUST IN TIME, WATCHING IT FALL INTO THE SWOLLEN RIVER FOLLOWING THE BREACH IN THE DAM’S WEST ABUTMENT.
JENNY BARNES
RAPIDAN DAM STORE OWNER
“That’s our business; that’s our livelihood. It’s everything to us. There’s no stopping it. It’s going to go where it wants to go. It’s going to take what it wants to take.”
BLUE EARTH COUNTY OFFICIALS REPORTED THAT THE CHANNEL AROUND THE DAM’S WEST ABUTMENT WIDENED AND DEEPENED OVER NIGHT, WITH MOST OF THE WATER ON WEDNESDAY BYPASSING THE DAM’S GATES.
ALTHOUGH THE WATER FLOW RATE HAS SLIGHTLY DECREASED, EMERGENCY EFFORTS REMAIN CHALLENGING. THE FOCUS OF EMERGENCY SERVICES SHIFTING FROM THE DAM TO THE STABILITY OF A NEARBY BRIDGE.
THE RAPIDAN DAM, OVER A CENTURY OLD AND PREVIOUSLY CAPABLE OF GENERATING 6 MILLION WATTS OF HYDROELECTRIC POWER, HAS DETERIORATED OVER THE YEARS DUE TO REGULAR FLOODING AND AGING INFRASTRUCTURE. A 2021 COUNTY REPORT FACED OFFICIALS WITH A CRITICAL DECISION: REPAIR THE DAM OR REMOVE IT.
AUTHORITIES ARE MONITORING FOR DOWNSTREAM IMPACTS, AS EXTREME RAINS AND FLOODING CAUSE WIDESPREAD DEVASTATION ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS I’M LAUREN TAYLORMAKE SURE TO DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP – AND SIGN UP FOR NOTIFICATIONS – SO YOU NEVER MISS AN UPDATE.
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Media Landscape
See who else is reporting on this story and which side of the political spectrum they lean. To read other sources, click on the plus signs below.
Learn more about this dataLeft 20%
Center 72%
Right 7%
Bias Distribution
Far
Left
+0
Click to close
Left
+0
Click to close
Home on 114-year-old Minnesota dam partially collapses into river
Click to see story on The Independent
Swollen river claims house next to Minnesota dam as flooding and extreme weather grip the Midwest
Click to see story on Associated Press News
Video shows moment house collapses into river near failing dam
Click to see story on CNN
Midwest flooding devastation comes into focus as flood warnings are extended in other areas
Click to see story on The Toronto Star
Swollen river claims house next to Minnesota dam as flooding and extreme weather grip the Midwest
Click to see story on Coast Reporter
Swollen river claims house next to Minnesota dam as flooding and extreme weather grip the Midwest
Click to see story on Sask Today
Swollen river claims house next to Minnesota dam as flooding and extreme weather grip the Midwest
Click to see story on Flin Flon Reminder
Swollen river claims house next to Minnesota dam as flooding and extreme weather grip the Midwest
Click to see story on Star Tribune
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on Koco News5
Swollen river claims house next to Minnesota dam as flooding and extreme weather grip the Midwest
Click to see story on The Seattle Times
UPDATE : Part of house on west bank of dam falls into river
Click to see story on Mankato Free Press
Click to close
Midwest flooding devastation comes into focus as flood warnings are extended in other areas
Click to see story on Winnipeg Free Press
Extreme weather, flooding grip US Midwest
Click to see story on VOA News
Swollen river claims house next to Minnesota dam as flooding and extreme weather grip the Midwest
Click to see story on Washington Top News
Midwest flooding devastation comes into focus as flood warnings are extended in other areas
Click to see story on WPLG
Swollen river claims house next to Minnesota dam as flooding and extreme weather grip the Midwest
Click to see story on News 4 JAX
Midwest flooding devastation comes into focus as flood warnings are extended in other areas
Click to see story on Pioneer Press
Midwest flooding devastation comes into focus as flood warnings are extended in other areas
Click to see story on WKMG
Swollen river claims house next to Minnesota dam as flooding and extreme weather grip the Midwest
Click to see story on Click on Detroit
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on KCRA 3
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WCVB
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WLWT
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WMUR
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WLKY
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WESH
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WDSU
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WTAE
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WYFF
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on KCCI
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on KMBC
Midwest flooding devastation comes into focus as flood warnings are extended in other areas
Click to see story on KOB 4
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WISN
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WBAL-TV
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WPTZ
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WMTW
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WVTM
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WAPT
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on KOAT
Midwest flooding devastation comes into focus as flood warnings are extended in other areas
Click to see story on WCBD
Receding Midwest floodwater exposes devastation as warnings extend into other areas
Click to see story on OPB
Swollen river claims house next to Minnesota dam as flooding and extreme weather grips the Midwest
Click to see story on The Columbian
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WPBF
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WGAL
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WXII
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on KSBW
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on WJCL
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on KHBS
Swollen river claims house next to Minnesota dam as flooding and extreme weather grip the Midwest
Click to see story on KSN News Wichita
Severe flooding, erosion around Minnesota dam causes house collapse
Click to see story on Straight Arrow News
House falls into river near dam amid catastrophic Midwest flooding
Click to see story on KLTV
Click to close
Midwest flooding devastation comes into focus as flood warnings are extended in other areas
Click to see story on National Post
House near Rapidan Dam falls into Blue Earth River in Minnesota
Click to see story on Inforum
Extreme weather grips Midwest, Blue Earth River claims house in Minnesota
Click to see story on The Blade
Click to close
Far
Right
+0
Click to close
Untracked Bias
Midwest flooding devastation comes into focus as flood warnings are extended in other areas
Click to see story on My Mother Lode
Midwest flooding devastation comes into focus as flood warnings are extended in other areas
Click to see story on Airdrie City View
House falls into Minnesota river near dam on brink of collapse
Click to see story on MOR-TV
Surging Minnesota river ‘swallows’ house as extreme flooding batters the Midwest
Click to see story on Express US
Swollen river claims house next to Minnesota dam as flooding and extreme weather grip the Midwest
Click to see story on thealbertan.com
Click to close
59 other sources covering this story
Total News Sources
59
Leaning Left
11
Center
39
Leaning Right
4
Last Updated
5 days ago
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