Floods strike as heavy snow melts
Authorities were using boats and large vehicles yesterday to rescue and evacuate residents in parts of the Midwest where a recent deluge of rainwater and snowmelt was sent pouring over frozen ground, overwhelming creeks and rivers, and killing at least one person.
The scramble to move people out of harm’s way was expected to subside going into the new week, as rivers and creeks in flooded eastern Nebraska and western Iowa were expected to crest today. That left officials downstream looking to prepare for likely flooding.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson had already met with emergency management team members on Saturday to review and update flood-response plans, and the Missouri Highway Patrol was preparing additional equipment and putting swift water rescue personnel on standby. The Missouri National Guard also temporarily relocated the 139th Airlift Wing’s C-130s from Rosecrans Air National Guard Base in St. Joseph as a precaution.
Evacuation efforts in eastern Nebraska and some spots in western Iowa yesterday were hampered by reports of levee breaches and washouts of bridges.
The flooding followed days of snow and rain – record-setting, in some places – that swept through the West and Midwest. The deluge pushed some waterways, including the Missouri River, to record levels in Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota. The flooding was the worst in nearly a decade in places.
The family of farmer James Wilke, 50, of Columbus, Nebraska, said he was killed on Friday when a bridge collapsed as he was using his tractor to try to reach stranded motorists. His body was found downstream, his cousin Paul Wilke said.
At least two other people were missing in floodwaters in Nebraska. Officials said a Norfolk man was seen on top of his flooded car late Friday before being swept away in the water and another man was swept away by waters when a dam collapsed on the Niobrara River.
Officials in Sarpy County, south of Omaha, said that power may be shut off to communities along the Missouri, Platte and Elkhorn rivers for safety reasons.