Deadly floods strike Nebraska as levees fail after bomb cyclone pummels US
At least one person is dead and two other are missing amid historic floods
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.At least one person has died and two others are presumed dead after historic floods hit Nebraska over the weekend following a “bomb cyclone” that struck the region earlier in the week.
James Wilke, a 50-year-old farmer from Columbus, Nebraska, was the first person whose death was confirmed after the worst flooding the state has seen in 50 years caused a bridge he was crossing to collapse.
Mr Wilke was reportedly helping rescue stranded motorists using his tractor on Saturday before the tragedy.
A levee failed at about 4am local time on Thursday night, where 30-year-old Scott Goodman of Norfolk, Nebraska, was last seen stranded on top of his vehicle, the Norfolk Daily News reported.
He and one other unidentified man have been missing since the levee failure and the collapse of the Spencer Dam on the Niobrara River.
As rivers and creeks in flooded eastern Nebraska and western Iowa peaked on Saturday, officials have begun looking downstream at likely flooding further south along the Missouri River.
The Missouri National Guard has also moved its aircraft in order to be prepared for emergency rescues, as the rivers and floods in eastern Nebraska could possibly veer southward along the Missouri River, the Associated Press reported on Saturday.
Many rivers and creeks in the Midwest are at record levels after days of snow and rain. In Nebraska and Iowa, people are being told to evacuate some areas after floodwaters broke through or overtopped levees. Some roads have also been closed, including a section of Interstate 29 in Iowa.
Travel in western Iowa is still hampered by flooding, and officials there and in eastern Nebraska are urging people not to drive if they don’t need to.
Crews in parts of Nebraska are using boats to rescue people in floodwaters. The flooding happened after a deluge of recent rainwater and snow melt was sent pouring over frozen ground, overwhelming creeks and rivers.
Rescue efforts have been hampered by reports of levee breaches and washouts of bridges and roads, including part of Nebraska Highway 92 leading in and out of southwest Omaha. Authorities also confirmed that a bridge on that highway that crosses the Elkhorn River had been washed away.
Additional reporting by AP
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments