It's always tragic when someone's home is destroyed in an accident or natural disaster, but it's doubly so when the home itself is an iconic, historic property beloved not only by its owners, but also the surrounding community.
In this case, I'd go so far as to call it a "dam" shame.
On Monday, the 114-year-old Rapidan Dam in Mankato, Minnesota, experienced a partial failure, causing the Blue Earth River to overflow and flood its banks. Tragically, these floods spelled doom for one historic Mankato home, whose dramatic "demise" was caught on camera by a nearby drone.
WCCO News Minnesota broadcast the tragic and sudden collapse of a historic Minnesota home, the video of which has gone viral across social media this week. The little white farmhouse sat right next to the flooding dam, and was quickly impacted when the rushing floodwaters eroded the riverbank all the way back to the home's foundation. For a while, the home teetered on the edge, but it eventually gave in to the pull of gravity, disappearing within the blink of an eye.
This home was more than just another old farmhouse to the people of Mankato. According to the Washington Post , Mankato locals knew the spot as the " Rapidan Dam Store ," opened in 1972 by the parents of its current owner, David Hruska. The beloved store became locally famous for its homemade pies, and also evolved into a popular burger joint after David and his sister Jenny took over in the 2000s. The restaurant operated out of a separate building on the property just a few feet away from the main house where David lived with his dad prior to this Monday morning.
David told the Washington Post that his sister and brother-in-law awoke them that morning, pointing out the destruction happening below his house. David had just enough time to grab a few essential belongings and mementos and escape with his dad before their home collapsed and disappeared downstream.
Things continue to look bleak for David Hruska and his family. David told WaPo that his home insurance wouldn't cover the cost of the destruction. Worse still, the family's beloved business is in jeopardy too. While it survived the initial collapse, it sat only 15 feet from the cliff's edge as of Monday morning. That ground has continued to erode since, and on Wednesday, the family told WCCO News they feared their family restaurant would fall next , wiping away decades of local and family history in mere moments.
Fortunately, the Mankato community has not abandoned this family in their time of need. Locals have donated food and water, and neighbors even set up a GoFundMe page , which has currently raised over $41,000 out of its $500,000 goal. Though the tragic loss of the Hruska family home cannot be undone, the people of Mankato are doing everything they can to help the Hruska family and their business weather the storm.
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