Blue Earth County Monitors Rapidan Dam as New Channel Forms
As of Tuesday morning, the dam, located southwest of Mankato, remained intact but had been breached on its west side by the newly formed channel on Monday. This occurred after debris accumulated against the more-than-century-old dam following recent torrential rains.
The breach washed away an electrical substation below the dam, resulting in power outages for hundreds of homes. Xcel Energy reported that power was restored overnight.
U.S. Highway 169 Closures
Travel in the Minnesota River valley has become significantly more difficult. Late Monday and early Tuesday, rising river levels forced the Minnesota Department of Transportation to close two stretches of U.S. Highway 169. The highway is closed between Mankato and St. Peter and between St. Peter and Le Sueur, rerouting all traffic onto two-lane state and county roads. Additionally, both Minnesota River bridges at St. Peter and some on- and off-ramps along Highway 169 in North Mankato are closed due to flooding.
For updates on state highway closures, visit the Minnesota Department of Transportation's website.
National Guard Deployment
In response to the severe flooding, Gov. Tim Walz deployed the National Guard to Waterville on Monday, describing the flooding as "catastrophic." Walz suggested that the situation could rival historic flooding events from 1997 and 2007. Walz and Sen. Amy Klobuchar are scheduled to conduct an aerial survey of the flooding in southern Minnesota later on Tuesday.
State Parks and Trails Affected
Heavy rains and flooding have led to numerous closures and disruptions at state parks across Minnesota. Here are some key updates:
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