Monday, June 14, 2010

North Loup flooded

by Kevin Butler

The small Nebraska community of North Loup—home of one of our Seventh Day Baptist churches—was evacuated this past weekend due to heavy rains and the failure of a diversion dam. The North Loup SDB Church is in the foreground of the picture.

From Lincoln’s Journal-Star:
OMAHA - Heavy rain and storm runoff that have swelled creeks and rivers briefly threatened a small hospital and forced the evacuation of a small town in central Nebraska on Saturday, officials said.
North Loup, a town of about 340 in central Nebraska's Valley County, was evacuated because of street flooding that followed the failure of a small dam, state officials said.
A sheriff's dispatcher said no injuries had been reported. Radio station KNLV in Ord said a shelter for North Loup residents was being arranged in nearby Scotia. But Sheriff Casey Hurlburt said residents would be allowed to return to town Saturday night once electricity and gas lines were checked and repaired.
Hurlburt said the floodwater was deepest - up to 4 feet - on the north side of town. A few basements had fallen in, he said, and floodwaters caused sewer problems.
He said an earthen dam holding back a private pond gave way and sent water down Mira Creek, which flows along the north side of town.
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North Loup’s Village Board Chairman Jim Goodrich (and member of the North Loup SDB Church) is featured in a video interview here

Update on Monday morning:
Nebraska's Emergency Operating Center was scheduled to open at 7 a.m. Monday because most of the state is in a disaster situation.
Over the weekend, floodwaters wiped out bridges and roads and closed highways in central and northeast Nebraska.
Gov. Dave Heineman said he is concerned about water moving toward the eastern part of the state. "The Platte River has a great level of water; more than we saw in the '93 floods," he said.
Heineman expects the Platte River to be at flood level for one to three weeks.
One town, North Loup, was evacuated Saturday after a dam on a lake gave way. Beland said from Friday evening to Saturday morning, 10 inches of rain fell in North Loup. She estimated 70 homes were damaged and had basement flooding. On Sunday, traffic was still being diverted around North Loup.

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