Owners of Rapidan Dam Store evacuate as river threatens to destroy family home

RAPIDAN TOWNSHIP, Minn. — Jenny Barnes and her family own the Rapidan Dam store for half a century. She often works all night and bakes cakes.

Around 2 a.m. Monday, she heard loud bangs, saw flashes of light and knew the river was getting too close for comfort.

“The water is being diverted and it’s moving towards our house – my father’s house. He lived there for over 50 years,” Barnes said.

The bangs and flashes were a result of the flooded Blue Earth River destroying an Xcel Energy substation on a county barn. The route was diverted due to the debris that had piled up against the river Rapidan Damwhich puts pressure on the structure.

Power poles and trees were also removed, and Barnes’ father’s house could be the next home.

‘It’s very close to the house. We had to evacuate this morning and get as much out as possible. All the freezers and things like that,” Barnes said.

For much of Monday, the river continued to gouge the ground beneath the old family home, leaving the east side of the house hanging above a cliff.

“For some people this is a historical monument. For us it is a life-changing event,” said Shannon Whittet.

As Blue Earth County Sheriff’s deputies kept spectators safe, Barnes began to realize she might lose her father’s home. But she is still hopeful that their iconic store will be spared.

“It’s my childhood. I grew up in the house, I grew up in the checker shop. I’ve been there all my life,” Barnes said.