State Of Emergency: Severe Flooding In Southwest Nebraska
Highway 80 Could Be Closed For Over A Week
POSTED: 12:19 p.m. MDT July 6, 2002
UPDATED: 9:23 p.m. MDT July 6, 2002
OGALLALA, Neb. -- One person was killed as 10 inches of rain fell Saturday in a portion of drought-stricken southwest Nebraska, closing roads and prompting evacuations.
Nebraska Gov. Mike Johanns declared a state of emergency, freeing state money to help assess and repair damage to public facilities.
Numerous roads and bridges were washed out in Keith County and some people were being evacuated near Ogallala, the National Weather Service said.
Ogallala is about 180 miles northeast of Fort Collins.
A spokesman for Johanns, Chris Peterson, said one person was killed along Interstate 80, which was closed near Ogallala because of the flooding. Peterson said he did not have details about the death.
"It was related to the flooding in some manner," Peterson said.
Nebraska's major highway, Interstate 80, was closed shortly before 10 a.m. CDT from Brule to Roscoe, juts west and east of Ogallala.
"We know it will be days, if not weeks before that highway can be re-opened," Peterson told 7News via phone. "It's pretty inredible because if the interstate remains closed it will have a dramatic economic effect of the communities near the interstate."
"It's nothing but a lake here (in Ogallala)," said Dick Roeser of Ogallala, a retired newspaper and radio journalist.
About 75 people in a trailer part south of Ogallala had water in their homes, Peterson said.
Ten inches of rain had fallen in Ogallala since 1 a.m. MDT, and U.S. Highway 30 through town had 2 inches of water running through it, Roeser said.
Two or three thunderstorms had clumped together in a 40-mile stretch from near the Colorado border to up and around Ogallala, meteorologist Terry Landsvork said.
A flash flood warning was issued for Keith County. Emergency management officials in the county said they were too busy to discuss details of the storm and what steps were being taken to help people get away from flooded roads.
Johanns had visited Ogallala on Wednesday to evaluate drought conditions in western and central Nebraska. He visited the South Platte River, which had been reduced to a flow just a few feet wide.
Roeser said that same river had risen considerably since the rain.
"Our South Platte River was dry, and now it's running bank full," Roeser said.
Nebraska Gov. Mike Johanns declared a state of emergency, freeing state money to help assess and repair damage to public facilities.
Numerous roads and bridges were washed out in Keith County and some people were being evacuated near Ogallala, the National Weather Service said.
Ogallala is about 180 miles northeast of Fort Collins.
A spokesman for Johanns, Chris Peterson, said one person was killed along Interstate 80, which was closed near Ogallala because of the flooding. Peterson said he did not have details about the death.
"It was related to the flooding in some manner," Peterson said.
Nebraska's major highway, Interstate 80, was closed shortly before 10 a.m. CDT from Brule to Roscoe, juts west and east of Ogallala.
"We know it will be days, if not weeks before that highway can be re-opened," Peterson told 7News via phone. "It's pretty inredible because if the interstate remains closed it will have a dramatic economic effect of the communities near the interstate."
"It's nothing but a lake here (in Ogallala)," said Dick Roeser of Ogallala, a retired newspaper and radio journalist.
About 75 people in a trailer part south of Ogallala had water in their homes, Peterson said.
Ten inches of rain had fallen in Ogallala since 1 a.m. MDT, and U.S. Highway 30 through town had 2 inches of water running through it, Roeser said.
Two or three thunderstorms had clumped together in a 40-mile stretch from near the Colorado border to up and around Ogallala, meteorologist Terry Landsvork said.
A flash flood warning was issued for Keith County. Emergency management officials in the county said they were too busy to discuss details of the storm and what steps were being taken to help people get away from flooded roads.
Johanns had visited Ogallala on Wednesday to evaluate drought conditions in western and central Nebraska. He visited the South Platte River, which had been reduced to a flow just a few feet wide.
Roeser said that same river had risen considerably since the rain.
"Our South Platte River was dry, and now it's running bank full," Roeser said.Copyright 2002 by TheDenverChannel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
