Family that lost home to flooded river vows to keep store open as floodwaters devastate Midwest

A family that watched their home collapse into a flooded river near an at risk Minnesota dam is vowing to reopen their nearby store to sell its homemade pie and burgers as soon as its safe to do so.

The Rapidan Dam Store remained standing Wednesday, but after the house where its owners, Jenny Barnes and brother David Hruska, grew up toppled into the Blue Earth River near Mankato the day before, they aren't entirely sure what's next.

“We don’t know what will happen,” a post on the store's Facebook page said Wednesday night, adding that it's been a hard experience. “The Dam Store has not sold its last burger or sold its last slice of pie.”

That home's disappearance into the river and the 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.

A swath through Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota and Minnesota has been under siege from flooding because of torrential rains since last week, while also suffering through a stifling heat wave. Up to 18 inches (46 centimeters) of rain have fallen in some areas, pushing some rivers to record levels. Hundreds of people have been rescued and at least two people have died after driving in flooded areas.

In Iowa, more towns were bracing for floodwaters. The west fork of the Des Moines River was expected to crest at nearly 17 feet (5.1 meters) in Humboldt overnight into Thursday. About 200 homes and 60 businesses in Humboldt could be affected, officials said.

In the coming days, Nebraska and northwestern Missouri are expected to start to see the downstream effects of the flooding. Many streams and rivers may not crest until later this week. The Missouri River will crest