Wednesday, June 26, 2024
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Tuesday, June 25, 2024
Fire on Harpers Ferry Bridge on Jun 24, 2024
(Satellite)
My general notes about this bridge are here. These notes are about the fire that broke out late afternoon on Jun 24, 2024.
Washington County MD Fire Calls posted five photos with the comment:
18600 BLK SANDY HOOK RD, CSX RAILROAD RIVER BRIDGEREPORT OF FIRE ON THE BRIDGECO111545 hours— Units on scene confirming fire on the railroad bridge // requesting JE1, FE5, and CO8 to assist with manpower, as well as Fire Police to shut down Sandy Hook Road— FE5 unavailable due to their own emergency call(s) // CO1 started to assist— Now due: REHAB25, AIR25, SAF100, MAB18, FEBOAT19, BOAT2010, EMS1814, JE4, JE3, LO626— Drone enroute to assist with recon // requesting 2 additional engine companies from the WV side
Bret Nalley: Lol some of these theories are wild. They were doing repair welds to the rail and the ties caught on fire. How do I know? I work for them.
C Kent McKenzie shared with the comment: "Some additional photos and information about the fire on the CSX Harpers Ferry bridge, over the Potomac River."
[The numbers in the caption record the original order.]
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James Gibson posted two photos with the comment: "Fire on the bridge at Harper's ferry."
Jay Krajcovic shared
Daniel Valentine: Hope no one took a day trip to there via the Capitol, and expected a westbound return.
I know 29 got turned around. Where was 30 at when this occurred? [He is talking about Amtrak train numbers.]
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Two drone photos by Greg Dean via journal-news (paywall 8) (source). "Washington County, Maryland, firefighters had command of the scene, and they were assisted by units from Frederick County, Maryland, Loudoun County, Virginia, and Jefferson County. R.J. Hahn, lieutenant with Independent Fire Company in Ranson, was one of the firefighters responding. He confirmed that approximately 10-15 rows of railroad ties were ablaze in the center of the bridge when the call was dispatched."
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Charles Vandergriff posted eight images with the comment: "Not my photo but the Harpers Ferry WV railroad bridge is on fire and possible infrastructural damage done. Edit to add more photos."
Jason Jordan shared
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| 8 Andrew Coblentz posted Fire on Harper's Ferry bridge today. Zackery Leveille: Roger Parrill the heat from the fire caused the rails to buckle. Andrew Coblentz posted with the third and seventh photos added added to this post Wm Whittington: CSX has released a statement to media following the fire: |
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| lootpress, Brunswick Volunteer Ambulance and Rescue/Facebook "According to CSX, following the fire, CSX teams inspected the bridge and confirmed its structural integrity. One of the two rail lines on the bridge reopened to train traffic at 3:30 AM this morning [Jun 25]. CSX expects the other line to be restored by 11:30 AM this morning. The cause of the fire is still under investigation." [How hard is it for the investigators to determine that rail repair welding caused the fire? This strikes me as another example of PR not wanting to admit what the mistake was.] |
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| Andrew commented on his first post |
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| Rick Smith commented on Andrew's first post I sure am glad I was NOT booked to ride to MARC from WAS to Martinsburg this time. Not as traffic ensnaring as the NEC issue Tuesday last week, but nonetheless exasperating, particularly as hot as it is. I'm also glad I'm not riding Nº 29 to WAS to CUS, since it and today's eastbound departure (Nº30) from Chicago have been canceled for this day. Today's Nº 30 seems to have made it east to WAS well before the incident. |
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| Roy Horne commented on Andrew's first post 5:45 this morning they’re using track two and repairing track one. |
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| safe_image for CSX crews work through night to restore train traffic on Potomac River bridge after fire CSX is still claiming that their investigators have not yet figured out what caused the fire. "There was no train on the bridge at the time of the fire, Washington County Emergency Services Director R. David Hays said Monday night....Two boats were in the river in case a firefighter were to fall, Hays said. None did. No injuries were reported, but one firefighter was treated on scene for minor dehydration before resuming activity, he said. Hay said 68 firefighters responded.,,,The challenges included finding a sustainable water source and accessing the fire in the middle of the bridge over the river, Hays said....Tanker trucks were used to supply water until a dedicated water service was accessed via a hydrant in Harpers Ferry, Hays said. There were no hydrants on the Maryland side of the bridge. The hose line had to be extended about 500 to 700 feet across the bridge, which Hays estimated was about 100 feet above the water." |
Flood of 2024: I-35 Tunnel in Duluth, MN
(Satellite)
It rained 7" on Jun 18, 2024. [NorthShoreVisitor via Dennis DeBruler]
This is one of the flood incidents of 2024.
I didn't know there was a tunnel in Duluth until I saw this post.
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| 0:44 video @ 022, cropped |
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| Street View, Aug 2023 |
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| Satellite |
Monday, June 24, 2024
1910 Rapidan Dam and Destroyed Bridge on Blue Earth River near Mankato, MN
(Satellite, 314 photos)
One of the concerns with removing the dam was allowing a bunch of contaminated sediments to go downriver. Casey points out that Mother Nature is removing the sediments for us. Unfortunately, not in an environmentally safe manner. Also, the bridge is now closed because the erosion is getting close to a bridge support.
Note the after and before images in the background.
On Jun 24, 2024, the dam was breached. This is one of the flood incidents of 2024.
"High water events in 2010, 2019, and 2020 have caused damage to the dam. The dam has not produced any energy since 2019." The dam has two turbines. [storymaps]
I recommend this video. You can tell that this view is earlier than the above view because there is still some grass between the erosion bank and the white house.
I think this is an earlier video, and it is a building that was closer to the river that is being destroyed.
2 of 6 photos posted [rats, I forgot to save the link] by Conner Blaukat with the comment: "Blue Earth Country Road 9 crossing the Blue Earth River, only a few hundred feet down stream lays the Rapidan Dam. Taken near Rapidan, Minnesota."
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| Brian Potter, Aug 2022 |
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| John Watts, May 2023, 0:06 video |
The 2019 flood was the second worse one. And it has not generated power since 2019. (Those are big trees going through the gates.)
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| 3:00 video @ 0:36 85' (26m) high [0:16] Repairing the dam is estimated to cost $15m and take 4 years. Removing the dam is estimated to cost $82m and take 10 years for permitting and removal. The project would include restoring the river and replacing the bridge south of the dam. Removing and properly disposing of the sediment that has accumulated behind the dam is a significant part of the removal cost. |
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| MankatoFreePress This dam does not have any structural problems and there is no risk of failure. But the Tainter gates no longer work and no hydropower is being generated. Results of a public survey were "Overall, 69% of responses were in favor of repairing the dam. Eighteen percent were in favor of removing the dam and 14% said they would support either decision." |
Power for 1,500 homes and $500,000/year from the sale of the power. [mprnews]
"High water events in 2010, 2019, and 2020 have caused damage to the dam. The dam has not produced any energy since 2019." The dam has two turbines. [storymaps]
I have not been able to find the megawatt capacity of the dam.
Flood of 2024
UPDATE, Jun 24, 2024: Mother Nature has probably resolved the debate as to whether or not to remove this dam.
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| StarTribune, Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune "Ryan Thilges, county engineer and public works director for Blue Earth County, said logs and debris from the river valley ended up plugging five steel gates that were open to allow as much water to flow through as possible. Without debris, the dam should have been able to clear the water, but instead the water rushed over the top and to the side. Blue Earth didn't have the necessary equipment to clear debris, and a contractor with a critical piece of equipment was hours away, and the high river posed significant safety concerns." [Note how close the bank erosion is getting to the white house.] |
I recommend this video. You can tell that this view is earlier than the above view because there is still some grass between the erosion bank and the white house.
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| 11:13 video |
I also follow this guy.
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| 8:03 Casey Jones video @ 0:25 |
I think this is an earlier video, and it is a building that was closer to the river that is being destroyed.
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| Facebook reel |
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| Chicago & Midwest Storm Facebook reel [Unfortunately, I could not find a date, let alone a timestamp.] |
The white house gives way.
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| morganwolfenews via Facebook oconner2379 comment: I'm sure this is so devastating to the family that lived there and had the Dam Store that was in the family for generations. Sending healing prayers to the family. [I think I read the Dam Store is the building just beyond the campground road.] |
Sep 22, 2024:
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| AW Aerial posted High in the sky at Rapidan Dam. The Rapidan Dam partially failed three months ago today when flooding and debris caused the Blue Earth River to divert around the dam. This 21-photo panorama gives the illusion of being taken from 1600+ feet above the ground. Photo taken on September 22, 2024. |
JP Drone Solutions posted six photos with the comment: "Here's a current bird's-eye view of the Rapidan Dam's partial failure on the Blue Earth River, which occurred 13 weeks ago today. The 114-year-old dam released 11.5 million cubic yards of sediment downstream."
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| 6 Kurt Braun: This picture alone identified the problem of failure- they could have used a backhoe or even fire to remove the organic plugging the outlet- human, not nature failure to the dam |
The washout is now below the level of the spillway.
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| 0:55 video "A little update from today, June 26th, 2024. As you can see the house has fallen and as of 11:30 am the banks were up to the road leading into the campground." |
One of the concerns with removing the dam was allowing a bunch of contaminated sediments to go downriver. Casey points out that Mother Nature is removing the sediments for us. Unfortunately, not in an environmentally safe manner. Also, the bridge is now closed because the erosion is getting close to a bridge support.
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| 6:02 Casey Jones video |
The increase in flow rate to 40kcfs is why downstream communities such as St. Peter and Henderson now have their major roads closed.
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Jun 27: In this case, closing the bridge due to "an abundance of caution" seems to be justified. So far, no one is talking about all of the contaminated sediment that is being washed downstream except for Casey Jones. But, as I said, toxic sediment must be a real issue because that was one of the big arguments for not removing the dam. I guess the silver lining is that the toxic sediment behind the dam has been diluted by the clean sediment created by the erosion of the river bank.
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| 4:22 video @ 1:58 |
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| Facebook reel |
Note the after and before images in the background.
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Most of the road to the campground is now gone.
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| Facebook reel |
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| 0:20 video he historic Rapidan Dam Store was bought and then demolished by Blue Earth County this evening "in an effort to protect other properties downstream and lessen environmental impact," according to KEYC News. Video taken at 7:30pm on June 28. The store belonged to the Hruska Family, whose home was also lost due to a partial failure of the Rapidan Dam. Consider donating to their GoFundMe: |
The bridge is going to remain closed. [1:34 video]
17:59 video: Jul 20, 2024, update and bridge scour tutorial
14:32 video: Aug 27, 2024, the plan is to remove the dam and replace the bridge. He also explains some drone footage that he commissioned.
Feb 2025: the bridge was "energetically felled."
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| 7:44 video @ 0:13 |
Apr 2025: the old bridge is finally gone.
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| AW Aerial posted 0:39 video WATCH: Before-and-after footage of the County Road 9 Bridge removal at Rapidan Dam. A lot has changed in 5 months. Closed since flooding last June, the bridge’s structural integrity was compromised due to erosion around the Rapidan Dam. A new bridge will be built in its place. |
Jul 26, 2025 Update:8:20 video. At the end of thevideo, Casey is explicit about the Feds paying 0% for maintenance but 80% for replacement causes local governments to patiently weight for a disaster to happen so that they can get funding help.
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