Evacuations forced by flooding have occurred in several eastern Nebraska communities, as western Nebraska residents struggled with blizzard-like conditions.
Officials report protective levees were topped or beached Wednesday in southwest Sarpy County and north of Pierce. Evacuations have occurred in Belgrade, Burwell, Cedar Rapids, Dannebrog, Harrington, Pierce, Randolph, St. Paul and Verdigre.
The National Weather Service says Loup River floodwater poses a threat to Genoa, where evacuations have occurred.
“This is a very epic cyclone,” Greg Carbin, chief of forecast operations for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Weather Prediction Center, said Wednesday.
“We’re looking at something that will go down in the history books.”
Wind gusts approaching 144.8 kph were reported in the Nebraska Panhandle. The wind, blowing snow and snow-packed roadways made travel treacherous. The blizzard warnings remain in effect through 6 p.m.
The Nebraska Transportation Department reports that Interstate 80 remains closed west of Kearney, and several highways are closed in the Panhandle and northeast Nebraska, including sections of U.S. Highway 20.
Residents in Norfolk, Nebraska, were issued evacuation orders on Wednesday after the Spencer Dam at the Niobrara River was reported to have failed, according to the Lincoln Journal Star newspaper. The storm caused flash flooding across the Plains and Midwest states, the NWS reported.
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