Family store in Minnesota demolished near dam damaged by river flood

RAPIDAN, Minn. (AP) — County officials bought and demolished a family-run Minnesota store that was precariously situated next to a cliff near a flood-damaged damofficials said Friday.

Blue Earth County purchased the Rapidan Dam Store and then removed the structure to lessen the impact downstream if it fell into the Blue Earth River, the county said in a statement.

For decades, the Hruska family ran the store and lived in a nearby house, but recent heavy rains caused the river to rise dramatically upstream and cut a channel between the Rapidan Dam and the river bank. O house collapsed in the river on Tuesday and the river continued to erode land near the store.

“The Dam Store was an integral part of the community and remains etched in the memories of many residents,” the statement said. “Our thoughts are with the Hruska family and everyone close to them.”

No one was injured by the partial collapse of the dam.

Officials said the dam, located a few miles southwest of Mankato in southern Minnesota, remains stable, as does a bridge upstream. However, authorities are watching both structures with caution, noting that the still-swollen river has drastically changed the area.

The county did not disclose how much it paid for the store. On Thursday, county officials and the Hruska family worked to remove a bar, booths, kitchenware and other items from the shelves.

Floods in the last week caused millions of dollars in damage to bridges, homes and roads in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. The flood was blamed for at least three deaths in the Upper Midwest.