Family that lost home to flooded river vows to keep store open

(27 Jun 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Mankato, Minnesota - 27 June 2024
1. Various drone video of erosion ++MUTE++
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2. SOUNDBITE (English) David Hruska, The Rapidan Dam Store:
“It's really crazy what's happened. What water can do? And I mean, never in a million years. What? I imagined our house disappearing.”
3. Drone video overlooking Rapidan Dam
4. Drone video overlooking bridge
++PARTIALLY COVERED++
5. SOUNDBITE (English) David Hruska, The Rapidan Dam Store:
“Yeah, we just watched it, and it kept flooding out the substation, and then it eventually started eroding it out and it dropped off. Then it took the county shut out, and then it worked its way towards our house, and we started taking things out of our house as much as we could. The little amount of time we had and, then the house sat there for about a day, day and a half without much change. And then it dropped.”
6. Close up of Rapidan Dam Store
7. David Hruska looking toward Rapidan Dam
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8. SOUNDBITE (English) David Hruska, The Rapidan Dam Store:
“They're hauling what they can out like in case it disappears. At least we have some parts of the dam store left. So, the inside. We hope to get the dam store moved out. We've been working on that. It's it can be done. We've looked into that. We know that, but it's just too saturated now. We got to wait for things to dry out a little more so they can get their heavy equipment in there.”
9. Ground video of erosion
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10. SOUNDBITE (English) David Hruska, The Rapidan Dam Store:
“I can't wait to see what it looks like when the water levels come down. That's. It's going to be so much different. You know, I've lived here my whole life. I basically know every rock down there on the river, from kayaking and fishing and running down through there as kids, and everything is going to be changed.”
11. Various of David Hruska
12. Drone video looking under bridge
13. Drone video from behind Rapidan Dam
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14. SOUNDBITE (English) David Hruska, The Rapidan Dam Store:
“It's going to get back to what it was. It's just going to take some time.”
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15. SOUNDBITE (English) David Hruska, The Rapidan Dam Store:
“It'll work out everything. But then I'll come back and hopefully be as better. Better as it was, you know, as good as it was. And. We'll just have to see what what happens. But just got to stay positive.”
16. Drone video of debris against dam
17. Close up of David Hruska shirt
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18. SOUNDBITE (English) David Hruska, The Rapidan Dam Store:
“You don't have to have the dam to have the dam
store.”
19. Drone video above Rapidan Dam ++MUTE++
STORYLINE:
A Minnesota family that watched helplessly as their house tumbled into a flooded river that eroded the bank where the home was perched say as soon as it's safe, they will reopen their nearby store, known for pies and burgers.
The Rapidan Dam Store remained standing Thursday, but the house where its owners grew up toppled into the swelled Blue Earth River near Mankato two days earlier. Flooding in the area was improving, and the National Weather Service was now predicting that flooding downstream is unlikely to be devastating.
“It's really crazy what's happened. What water can do? And I mean, never in a million years. What? I imagined our house disappearing,” Rapidan Dam Store owner David Hruska said.
Hundreds of flood-damaged or destroyed homes elsewhere in the upper Midwest are among the first property casualties of extreme weather gripping the region as floodwaters move south.
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