Published: May 7,2015
Tornadoes and flooding affected numerous areas in Nebraska Wednesday and Thursday, prompting Gov. Pete Ricketts to declare a state of emergency. Of those areas affected, southeastern Nebraska received the brunt of the storms’ fury, where nearly a foot of rain forced authorities to evacuate residents.
Heavy rains caused Turkey Creek and Big Blue River to swell, and in response, authorities asked Dewitt residents to evacuate to the village hall. Those affected were shuttled to Tri-County High School, where a shelter was opened.
Residents in and around the city of Fairbury, located in Jefferson County, were evacuated Thursday after rains flooded the Little Blue River. Spokeswoman Jodi Fawl of the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency said those evacuated included people who lived west of the railroad tracks. Residents in parts of Endicott, Nebraska, were evacuated, as well.
Several highways and local roads in Lincoln and surrounding areas were closed because of runoff from overnight thunderstorms in southeast Nebraska. Lincoln officials said they received reports early Thursday morning of cars floating in intersections, and several people had to be rescued from flooded cars. Many area basements also were flooded.
"Everyone has had safe outcomes," acting Lincoln Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Jeremy Gegg told the Lincoln Journal Star.
The American Red Cross opened two shelters in Lincoln — at the F Street Community Center and Belmont Elementary School — late Thursday afternoon, and the Salvation Army sent teams to DeWitt and Fairbury to provide meals, snacks and beverages.
In a statement announcing the emergency declaration, NEMA Assistant Director Bryan Tuma urged residents to stay out of flood waters.
#Flood Threat Continues Through the Weekend in the #Plains With More Rounds of Heavy Storms: http://wxch.nl/1IlhFIN
"Bacteria and infections can occur as well as unexpected injuries from falling in the water," Tuma said.
Two roads reopened Thursday afternoon — the Waverly exit on Interstate 80 and U.S. Highway 81 at Hebron — though officials urged drivers to be careful because some water remained on the road in spots.
Other roads were still closed, including U.S. Highway 77 south of Nebraska Highway 33, a portion of U.S. Highway 136 near Ruskin and portions of Nebraska Highway 53 near Alexandria. Some rail lines were also impassable because of flooding.
The Lincoln airport reported nearly 7 inches of rain since Wednesday morning, while more than 10 inches was reported around Swanton, 9 inches at Wilber and 8 inches at Western.
Earlier Thursday, Swanton officials worked to rescue people from two homes surrounded by nearly 3 feet of floodwater. A message left Thursday afternoon with Saline County Sheriff Alan Moore seeking information on whether those people were successfully rescued was not returned.
The storm system also produced several tornadoes that swept parts of southeast and south-central Nebraska. Most were small and tore through mostly farmland, though several homes were reported damaged around Grand Island, Roseland and Hebron.
MORE: May 6 Tornado Outbreak
No comments:
Post a Comment