This is a big story that doesn’t seem to be getting the news coverage it deserves: Nebraska and other parts of the Midwest are suffering through their worst floods in half a century. Multiple levees have breached, and the city of Freemont, the sixth largest in the state, is is completely cut off by floodwater. The Cooper Nuclear Power Station near Brownville is preparing for a possible shutdown if the floodwaters overtop a levee on the Missouri river.
The flooding even got so bad that “the National Weather Service office in Omaha, Nebraska, was forced to evacuate due to river flooding.”
Given it’s still winter in much of the Midwest, a lot of those floodwaters carried along bolder-sized icebergs, making the damage that much more extensive.
Here are some videos:
Multiple bridges and dams have been washed away:
Some Tweets:
Here's a map, courtesy of the @StarTribune, showing flood-stricken areas: covering half or more of Nebraska, Iowa, and Wisconsin, as well as significant parts of Michigan. Interstates and highways are closed. Cities like Omaha, Des Moines, and Milwaukee are experiencing flooding. pic.twitter.com/rbsfXKPqEJ
— Ted Genoways (@TedGenoways) March 16, 2019
Just spoke w/ @GovRicketts. The people of Nebraska & across the Midwest, especially the Farmers & Ranchers, are feeling the impacts from severe weather. The first responders & emergency response teams have done a great job dealing w/ record flooding, high winds, & road closures.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 15, 2019
Ended up with about 50 acres worth of these in the hay meadow. Probably have them till June. Some are 3+ foot thick and big enough you could hold a square dance on. #nebraskaflooding pic.twitter.com/LkSufNbmAU
— Jared Jaixen (@jaredjaixen) March 15, 2019
Nebraska flooding since yesterday……prayers needed, pic.twitter.com/1urxX0wVQc
— Tamara Dahlgren (@princessabm) March 14, 2019
New, incredible aerial imagery of extensive Nebraska flooding.
Full video: https://t.co/wm57WPKyyZ pic.twitter.com/Pw0jl8VeY0
— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) March 16, 2019
There is all this flooding in Nebraska & Iowa. I had no idea till a fan tweeted me about it.
This is what I hate the most about our American news.
Mon – Trump bad
Tues- Mass shooting
Wens- Trump bad
Thurs- Trump bad
Fri – Mass shooting
Sat – Trump bad
Sun – Trump bad— KEEM 🍿 (@KEEMSTAR) March 16, 2019
It would be nice if our national media could to pay attention to historic flooding…
Tags: flooding, Freemont (NB), Nebraska, nuclear power, video, weather
We’ve found it amusing/infuriating that out weather doesn’t become news until it gets gets a couple of states further east. Sadly, this means we just have to deal with it and move on because no one is telling us how bad off we are. Luckily, no flooding that those folks further south and that suits me just fine. Lost a car in a flash flood once. Living above the 1000 year flood plain is a good thing.