Minnesota's 114-Year-Old Rapidan Dam Breached: 'Potentially Evacuate'

BLUE EARTH COUNTY, MN — The 114-year-old Rapidan Dam near Mankato has been "breached" and residents in that area are advised to consider leaving the area, emergency officials said late Monday morning.

At about 10:50 a.m., Le Sueur County Emergency Management said the dam had failed and that people in the communities of Kasota, Le Sueur, St. Peter, and Ottawa "are advised to closely monitor" the situation "and potentially evacuate."

X user Nick Lewis uploaded a video showing the serious damage.

FOX 9 journalist Seth Kaplan also uploaded a video from the "surreal" scene.

The Blue Earth County Sheriff's Office warned earlier Monday that debris began accumulating on Sunday and the dam was "in imminent failure condition."

ALSO READ: Bear Season Begins In MN: Recent Sightings In Twin Cities

The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning as a result of the dam failure.

The Rapidian Dam was constructed between 1908 and 1910 and was 87 feet high and 475 feet long. The generators at the dam created enough power for up to 3,000 residences, according to Blue Earth County officials.

The damage to the dam on Monday was just the latest severe impact of Minnesota's heavy rainfall this spring and early summer.