NETRADIO: Watching the Water: Floods of 2011, continued (2011-07-08)

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State teams survey flood damage in eastern Neb.
June 30, 2011
The Associated Press
Two state teams are assessing damage to homes along the swollen Missouri River in eastern Nebraska. The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency said the teams were conducting an aerial tour Thursday of damaged property reported to the state. Early reports indicate 115 houses have sustained major damage. The state continues to urge property owners to report damage to homes and businesses. Reports can be submitted online at www.nema.ne.gov/newsroom/home-damage-contact.html or by calling 855-211-2453 or 855-211-2454. NEMA's Cindy Newsham said the damage estimates could help the state get approval for individual aid.

Floods: Financial and insurance assistance for the recovery process
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension
Effectively managing risk is important in dealing with and recovering from a disaster. This explains how to manage risk through insurance and other disaster programs in order to recover from a disaster as quickly and easily as possible, including information on insurance and financial assistance options.

River communities face long-term flood threat
June 29, 2011
Grant Gerlock, NET News
Lincoln, Neb. - After more than a month of flooding in some areas, high water on the Missouri River is not expected to abate anytime soon. With more river crossingsbeing shut down and levees bracing against record levels, emergency officials remain on high alert. Grant Gerlock of NET News spoke with Al Berndt of the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency for an update on flooding across the state.

Wikimedia Commons
Health officials say 2011 shouldn't be a bad year for West Nile, despite the Missouri flooding.

Will this summer bite?
June 28, 2011
Angel Martin, KVNO News
Omaha, Neb. - Last year, there were a total of 39 reported human cases of West Nile Virus cases in Nebraska, and two deaths from the mosquito-transported disease. With the Missouri River at record levels, many are wondering what the summer will look like for mosquito bites.

Photo courtesy of Gary Noon
Pheasant is one of several Nebraska animals that will be affected by recent flooding, for better or for worse.

Flooding not always negative for Nebraska wildlife
June 28, 2011
Jonathan Ash, NET News
Lincoln, Neb. - As thunderstorms continue dropping more rain onto the Nebraska plain, state rivers continue swelling. But humans aren't the only ones threatened by the downpour: animals also face immediate and long-term dangers, though some will actually benefit from the rising rivers.

Photo courtesy of the
Omaha Public Power District
The Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Plant is surrounded by a sea of muddy water in this picture, taken approximately June 17, 2011.

Touring Nebraska's flooded nuke plants
June 27, 2011
Robyn Wisch, KVNO News
Omaha, Neb. - The images are stunning: two nuclear power plants completely surrounded by water, as sandbags, levees and makeshift walls hold back the rising Missouri river. The Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission flew into Nebraska Sunday for a first-hand look at both Cooper Nuclear Station near Brownville, and the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Plant. His visit came just hours after a berm around the Fort Calhoun plant collapsed, and floodwaters rushed toward the nuclear containment building. But, officials say both plants are safe, and protected.

Robyn Wisch, KVNO News
Cooper Nuclear Station near Brownville is still online, but the rising Missouri River is creeping closer to the plant.

UPDATE: Top nuke official touring Nebraska plants
June 27, 2011
Robyn Wisch, KVNO News
Omaha, Neb. - Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko toured the Cooper Nuclear Station near Brownville, NE on Sunday, and is scheduled to tour the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Plant Monday. Jaczko arrived in Nebraska just after news broke that an earthen berm around the Fort Calhoun plant had collapsed around 1:00am Sunday morning. Officials say the plant is safe. Jaczko will meet with reporters Monday afternoon.

Jonathan Ash, NET News
Volunteers fill sandbags Tuesday, June 21 in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Sandbaggers work to hold back Missouri River
June 24, 2011
Jonathan Ash, NET News
Council Bluffs, Iowa - As the Missouri River continues to swell, volunteers work daily outside the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs to fill sandbags. In today's Signature Story, Jonathan Ash with NET News reports how volunteers and disaster relief organizations are working together to hold back a bulging waterway.

Photo courtesy of Daryl Obermeyer

Little Nemaha River flooding
June 30, 2011
Brownville, Neb. - Little Nemaha River is flooding four miles upstream from the Missouri River because of water backing up the river channels.

Chris Machian, Omaha World-Herald
The view of the flooding near downtown Omaha from the 42nd floor of the First National Tower.

Panorama: A view from the top
June 30, 2011
Omaha World-Herald
Omaha, Neb. - Want some unique views of the Missouri River flooding? The World-Herald used Gigapan technology to create a large, panoramic image of the flooding near downtown Omaha, looking east from the 42nd floor of the First National Tower.

Another levee breach in S.W. Iowa
Omaha World-Herald
June 30, 2011
Flood fighters in Fremont County, Iowa, are coping Thursday morning with a 200-foot breach of a Missouri River levee 2.5 miles northwest of Percival. The waters could affect 24 homes south of the breach, officials said. Those homes already had been evacuated.

Graphic courtesy of the Omaha World-Herald

Some bail out in north downtown
June 28, 2011
Ross Boettcher, Omaha World-Herald
Omaha, Neb. - With flood threats lurking and stressed storm sewer systems spewing water each time it rains, businesses and office tenants in north downtown are abandoning ship. As of Monday, most of the small businesses with offices in the Mastercraft building at 13th and Nicholas Streets had left. And by midday, some artists with studios in Hot Shops were walking out with their pieces and paintings in tow. Along the streets, sandbags were scattered in front of garage doors and business entrances. The streets were caked with dried mud and remnants of the gushing sewers.

National Weather Service

North Platte River levels near Mitchell
June 28, 2011
Angel Martin, KVNO News
Cheyenne, Wyo. - A chart forecasting the height of the North Platte River through July 1, 2011, via the National Weather Service's forecast office in Cheyenne.

Worst North Platte River flooding likely over
June 28, 2011
Katie Bradshaw, Scottsbluff Star-Hearld
Scottsbluff - Panhandle residents who have been warily watching the North Platte River got a welcome sight this weekend. Floodwaters are receding. According to recent hydrograph data from the Cheyenne National Weather Service website, the river at Henry dropped from 6.21 feet on June 23 to 5.82 feet by Monday afternoon, just barely over the 5.5-foot flood stage. Though the river at Mitchell is still well over the 7.5-foot flood stage, the water dropped from 9.1 feet on June 25 to 8.41 feet Monday afternoon.

Photo courtesy of the
Missouri River Joint Information Center
A panoramic view of the Missouri River at Omaha, Neb. on June 27, 2011.

Updated aerial photos of the Missouri River at Omaha
June 27, 2011
Missouri River Joint Information Center
Omaha, Neb. - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as added new images of the swollen Missouri in downtown Omaha to its flickr page.

FULL-SIZE IMAGE

Kent Sievers, Omaha World-Herald
The Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station is 19 miles north of Omaha. Water now surrounds the auxiliary and containment buildings, which are designed to handle flooding up to 1,014 feet above sea level. The river is at 1,006.3 feet and isn't forecast to exceed 1,008 feet.

Nuke plant safe amid unique peril
June 27, 2011
Nancy Gaardner and Sam Womack, Omaha World-Herald
Omaha, Neb. - The Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station turned to diesel-powered generators Sunday after disconnecting from the main grid because of rising floodwaters. That move came after water surrounded several buildings when a temporary levee collapsed. The plant, about 19 miles north of Omaha, remains safe, Omaha Public Power District officials said Sunday afternoon.

RELATED: "NRC chief stays dry at Cooper"
RELATED: "NRC chairman visits Cooper plant, is impressed with safety measures"

Flooding may affect energy costs
June 23, 2011
Ben Bohall, KVNO News
Omaha, Neb. - With the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Plant temporarily shut down, and Cooper Nuclear Station near Brownville surrounded by water, concerns are now being raised about how the Missouri flooding might impact energy costs for Nebraskans.

Eric Gregory, Lincoln Journal Star
Spectators crowd onto a pier to view the fireworks at Lincoln's Uncle Sam Jam on Monday night, July 5, 2010, at Oak Lake Park.

Fireworks sales here expected to boom because of flooding along Missouri River
June 24, 2011
Algis J. Laukaitis, Lincoln Journal Star
Lincoln, Neb. - Local fireworks stands expect business to take off like a Roman candle this Fourth of July because of road and bridge closures elsewhere caused by Missouri River flooding. Pat Egan, president of Crazy Cracker Fireworks, said he plans to do more business because of the high water. He supplies fireworks to about 100 stands in Nebraska and South Dakota.

UPDATE: U.S. Army Corps flood maps
The Omaha District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has compiled regional maps to show areas of potential inundation from Fort Peck, Mont. To Rulo, Neb. Maps covering southeast South Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa were updated June 22, 2011. Or, view the maps on Facebook.

High water hurting business in Brownville
June 22, 2011
Grant Gerlock, NET News
Lincoln, Neb. - The Army Corps of Engineers says the amount of water being released at Gavin's Point Dam in South Dakota will be increased from 150,000 cfs to 160,000 cfs. That could push the Missouri River another 6 inches higher downstream. In Southeast Nebraska river towns like Brownville, residents were hoping that wouldn't be necessary. The river is flowing higher than 44 feet at Brownville, and the bridge on Highway 136 has been closed, shutting down an important link to traffic from across the state border. Grant Gerlock of NET News spoke with Martin Hayes, chairman of the Brownville Village Board, to find out what the town is facing with the high water.

Omaha World-Herald

Gavins Point increases releases
June 22, 2011
David Hendee, Omaha World-Herald
Omaha, Neb. - More Missouri River floodwater is heading this way. Releases from Gavins Point Dam in northeast Nebraska will increase to 160,000 cubic feet per second by Thursday as a result of continued rain in South Dakota where as much as 6 inches fell recently and northern Nebraska. The corps is currently releasing a record 150,000 cfs from the dam, causing widespread flooding along the river in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa and further downstream.

Word cloud: Media coverage of Missouri River and Platte River flooding
Hilary Stohs-Krause, NET News
June 22, 2011
A word cloud showing the frequency of different words in the text of 28 different news articles about Missouri River and Platte River flooding from Nebraska, regional and national publications from June 19 to June 21, 2011.

Floods: Managing risk
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension
This publication is intended to give quick, brief answers to the many issues that arise after a flood. You will not find detailed instructions here, but the answers will direct you to short fact sheets and the sections of several booklets that have detailed instructions.

Photo courtesy of Mike Machian
A heavy thunderstorm rolled into Omaha last night, drenching attendees of the College World Series.

Photos: Omaha storms
June 21, 2011
Courtesy of Mike Machian
Omaha photographer Machian settled down on the Livestock Exchange Building in South Omaha as Monday night's storm rolled over the city. Click here for more photos from the storm (the first three in the set are from last night; others were taken in Omaha about a year ago).

Photo by Kent Sievers, Omaha World-Herald
The flooding Missouri River bends around Eppley Airfield in Omaha.

Flood could cost airport $15 million
June 21, 2011
Bob Glissmann, Omaha World-Herald
All the levee inspections, high-water monitoring, sandbagging and pumping at Eppley Airfield have kept the airport open and in good shape as the region deals with record Missouri River levels, the Omaha Airport Authority board heard Tuesday. But all that work comes with a price.

North Platte Telegraph

Follow the Flood
June 21, 2011
North Platte Telegraph
A collection of stories, photos, road closings and emergency information for the North Platte area.

Photo courtesy ofthe Associated Press
A truck moves along a flooded highway 159 Monday, June 20, 2011, in Big Lake, Mo. During the next few days, the Missouri River is expected to rise as much as 5 to 7 feet above flood stage in much of Nebraska and Iowa, and as much as 10 feet over flood stage in parts of Missouri.

Drivers deluged by bridge and road closures due to floods
June 21, 2011
Algis J. Laukaitis, Lincoln Journal Star
Spring floods on the Missouri and Platte rivers have given new meaning to the popular phrase: "Don't leave home without it." Drivers who are thinking about crossing into Iowa and Missouri or heading west, might want to take along lots of maps or a road atlas.

Photo courtesy of
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension

Floods: Reinforcing Existing Homes to Resist Flood and Wind Damage
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension
Tips on how to reinforce and strengthen existing and new house structures to protect against water and wind damage.

Associated Press photo

River falls short of Nebraska nuke plant shutdown
Heather Hollingsworth, The Associated Press
June 20, 2011
OMAHA, NEB. -- The bloated Missouri River rose to within 18 inches of forcing the shutdown of a nuclear power plant in southeast Nebraska but stopped and ebbed slightly Monday, after several levees in northern Missouri failed to hold back the surging waterway. The river has to hit 902 feet above sea level at Brownville before officials will shut down the Cooper Nuclear Plant, which sits at 903 feet, Nebraska Public Power District spokesman Mark Becker said.

Photo courtesy of the Missouri River
Joint Information Center

Photos: Levee L-550 overtopping at Atchison County
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Omaha District
June 19, 2011
ATCHISON COUNTY, MO. -- Water flows from the Missouri River over levee L-550, located north of Highway 136 in Atchison County, Mo., on June 19. The local sponsor reported overtopping of the levee to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers the morning of June 19. The levee is in the Federal Program (PL 84-99) and is operated and maintained by a non-federal sponsor. It was constructed by the Corps in the late 1940s.

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