One Year Later: The Flood of June 2024

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - The Flood of June 2024 will go down in the books as a memorable event for the residents of southern Minnesota.

The videos in the player above are a look back at the flooding in June of 2024 and the recover efforts since that time.

We start with the memorable images of the devastation at the Rapidan Dam.

After several days of heavy rain across the region, water began to go around the dam in the early morning hours of June 24, 2024 as debris built up behind the dam.

The power of the water eroded the western bank of the dam, taking the power substation and eventually the home of the Hruska family with it.

During that time, the power of the water brought may people to the site, to watch the power of nature but also to watch history unfold.

In a pre-emptive move, Blue Earth County purchased the nearby Dam Store from the family and removed it to prevent more debris from entering the river.

As the flood waters receeded, it was determined the supports for the nearby Blue Earth County Road 9 bridge were deemed unsafe and plans were made to remove the bridge. That process began over the winter and included an implosion in February.

Plans are underway to rebuild the bridge and county officials voted to remove the dam.

Due to the number of government agencies involved, that process is expected to take years.

Despite the destruction caused by the power of the water, the Rapidan Dam stands strong, sitting beside the new channel the Blue Earth River has carved around the dam’s structure.

We look at the meteorology behind what caused the flooding, the historic Dam Store and its move to Mankato, the flooding impacts in St. Peter and Henderson, as well as Windom and Waterville.

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