A coordinated cyberattack targeted the operational technology of more than 30 community water systems across Minnesota on July 26 and 27, triggering a statewide emergency response. In the east-central city of Braham, the malicious intrusion successfully disabled computerized operating controls, forcing the local well and water treatment plant offline for nearly two hours.
While public works crews quickly regained manual control and city officials assured residents that the physical facility and water quality were unharmed, the unprecedented scale of the attack prompted Minnesota IT Services to launch a multi-agency investigation alongside the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Beyond Braham, multiple Twin Cities suburbs also confirmed they were hit. Plymouth reported that a suspected cyberattack disrupted cellular communications at two water towers and several lift stations, while South St. Paul and Maple Plain experienced interference with their automated utility controls.
Wisconsin Water Plant Destroyed by Tornado
An EF-3 tornado caused catastrophic damage to the Menasha (Wisconsin) Water Filtration plant in the Fox Valley July 27, though all staff survived unharmed. Alerted by sirens and mobile notifications, the plant's manager and seven employees took refuge in the facility's severe weather shelter. The workers watched live security footage of the devastation outside, including a tree crushing the manager's truck, and listened in fear as the building's roof and heavy beams collapsed above them.
The direct hit from the tornado knocked the treatment facility offline, damaging gas mains, power conduits and backup generators while reducing the building's west side to rubble. With no timeline for whether the plant will be repaired or completely rebuilt, Menasha is currently outsourcing its water supply to neighboring Neenah to maintain service for locals.
Search Concludes for Missing Sewer Worker in Downers Grove
The search for a missing contractor swept into a Downers Grove, Ilinois, storm sewer system July 27 during severe weather ended the afternoon of July 28 when emergency crews recovered his body. The incident began when workers flagged down local police to report that two contractors had become trapped underground. While rescue teams managed to pull the first worker out of the sewer about 200 feet from the entry point and transport him to a hospital, active search efforts were undertaken to find the other worker.
Because high water levels and hazardous underground gases made the environment too dangerous for emergency crews, officials transitioned the operation from a rescue mission to a recovery effort. Both men were working on a long-term infrastructure project to rehabilitate an aging 11-foot concrete pipe beneath downtown Downers Grove.
Continue reading for free
