Midwest flooding closes stretches of major river, interstate highway
OMAHA, Neb. — Flooding in the central U.S. on Friday forced some residents along waterways to evacuate, threatened to temporarily close a nuclear power plant and closed stretches of a major river and an interstate highway, foreshadowing a difficult spring flooding season.
The high water prompted by a massive late-winter storm, pushed some waterways to record levels in Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota. The flooding was the worst in nearly a decade in places, though the situation was expected to improve quickly over the weekend, according to Mike Gillispie, National Weather Service hydrologist in Sioux Falls.
Flooding remained a big concern in the lower Missouri River region — which is a major source for the Mississippi River — with the weather service issuing warnings of high water along the river and its tributaries from southeastern South Dakota to St. Louis in Missouri.
Officials in eastern Nebraska said more than 2,600 people living along the Missouri, Platte and Elkhorn rivers there had been urged to evacuate, as waters breached levees in several rural spots.
Dozens of people also had been rescued from flooding vehicles and buildings, Omaha Fire Chief Dan Olsen said at the news conference.
That included several first responders in two rescue boats that capsized on the Elkhorn River late Thursday night near Fremont. The boats capsized as they tried to reach people surrounded by floodwaters. Nebraska State Patrol helicopters were used to pull the crew members from the frigid water. Olsen said some were in the water “for an extended period” and were taken to a Fremont hospital for treatment. All are expected to fully recover.
Rising waters on the Missouri River also led Iowa officials on Friday to shut down much of Interstate 29 from the Missouri state line north about 85 miles to about Missouri Valley, Iowa. The closure was reminiscent of historic flooding along the river in 2011 that saw segments of the interstate in western Iowa washed away. Officials on Friday said the river is expected to crest well below what was seen in 2011.
The U.S. Coast Guard on Friday shut down all traffic on the Missouri River from about 50 miles south of Omaha, Neb., downstream to St. Joseph, Mo,, a stretch of about 70 miles.
The swollen Missouri threatened a nuclear power plant in southeastern Nebraska. The Nebraska Public Power District said it was likely the Cooper Nuclear Station about 59 miles south of Omaha would be shut down early Saturday.
Officials are confident that the flooding around the plant presents no danger to the public, power district spokesman Mark Becker said.