Tuesday's flood updates: a man is missing after the collapse of Spencer Dam; calendar of repairs to dikes uncertain | Nebraska

Emergency Management Director Douglas Fox confirmed the disappearance of Kenny Angel. Angel lived on the side of Holt County on the Niobrara River, Fox said, and he was at his home near the dam when he disappeared. His family could not be reached.

Fox is director of 24 Emergency Management, which covers Boyd, Brown, Cherry, Keya Paha and Rock counties.

Scott E. Goodman, 30, of the Norfolk Daily News, was also seen standing on his car, then washed away by a jet of water.

Three people died in the floods: Betty Hamernik, 80, of Columbus; James Wilke, 50, of Columbus; and Aleido Rojas Galan, 55, from Norfolk.

In the Santee Indian Reserve in northeastern Nebraska, the tribe's Ohiya casino and resort complex became a temporary shelter for about 200 tribal members displaced by floods and power outages.

"The casino has taken care of them," said Roger Trudell, president of the Santee Sioux Nation tribe, who planned to return home Tuesday night.

The tribe's water supply system was knocked out by a flood and was operational only Monday afternoon. The water was only suitable for rinsing toilets and showers.

On Tuesday, a shipment of bottled water and other supplies arrived from churches in the Omaha area, Trudell said. And a tribal-created GoFundMe account (for a new $ 15,000 water pump and other repairs) raised $ 6,400.

"We appreciate every penny we have been given," said Trudell.

Others who wish to make a donation can call the tribal headquarters in Niobrara at 1-402-857-2772.

Some roads in the Omaha region were reopened after being closed due to floods.

Highway 64 Nebraska (West Maple Road) between Waterloo and Omaha is open. Motorists can take West Maple to US Highway 275 and head north until Fremont.

Highway 275 is open between Waterloo and Fremont, but is closed south of Waterloo.

US Highway 77 North and South Fremont is also open.

In addition, both directions on Nebraska Highway 370 (Mission Avenue) are open to the Bellevue Toll Bridge.

Nebraska Highway 36, in Fremont, has an open lane, the Nebraska Department of Transportation announced. Traffic will be on the highway Tuesday under the guidance of a pilot car. Officials are asking motorists to be patient when they use the highway.

In Northeastern Nebraska, US Highway 275 is open from O'Neill to Wisner, the Department of Transportation announced. Further south, the authorities also announced that US Highway 136 at Beatrice was again open to traffic.

US Highway 81 south of Columbus is reserved for passenger vehicles, the Nebraska National Patrol announced on Twitter.

West Dodge Road heading west from Omaha has significant damage, as does West Center Road, officials said.

The West Dodge remains closed from the east end of 204th Street (entrance to Elkhorn) west of Highway 275.

The repair schedule for the dikes is uncertain

According to Colonel John Hudson, Omaha District Commander of the US Army Corps, it will take a few weeks before the Corps of US Army Engineers has a clear idea of ​​the extent of the damage and the time it will take him to repair the federal dikes. engineers.

The levees, which cross Nebraska, are owned and operated by various levels of government.

The corps supervises those who have met federal standards for height and construction.

"We have at least a huge workload before we can at least start stabilizing flood protection," he said. "It will take us several weeks to use it, just because of the extent of the damage."

Federal levies may be found around local communities, but it will be the biggest challenge for the Army Corps along the Missouri River from south of Bellevue, he said.

"It's too hard to speculate, at this point," how long it will take to repair the entire system, he said.

The Army Corps considers that all its dikes located south of Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska and Iowa, are compromised. Some have holes and do not work at all; others have been weakened while ensuring a level of protection against floods.

With the spring rains coming, the gaps and weaknesses in the dike system will make communities vulnerable to new floods.

There are approximately 405 km of dikes in Nebraska, many of which are not federal dikes, and many non-federal dikes have also been damaged.

Light rain expected Tuesday

Light precipitation is expected Tuesday, with 0.10 to 0.20 inches of rain expected north of the Platte River.

The National Weather Service forecast about half an inch of rain south of Interstate 80 in southeastern Nebraska. The system will turn in the area on Tuesday, with most of the precipitation ending in southeastern Nebraska and southwestern Iowa Tuesday night.

A warming trend is expected, with temperatures ranging from Tuesday's 40s to well in the 50's on Thursday afternoon. Temperatures are expected to drop 60 degrees on Friday.

Tuesday at 6 am, the level of the Elkhorn River at Waterloo reached 13.5 feet, just below the 14-foot flood level. According to forecasts, the river will fall to 9.1 feet by 7 o'clock on Wednesday.

The Missouri River at Omaha was 33.8 feet at 5:45 pm The flooding level of the river is 29 feet. The water should not dive under this mark until Saturday.

Municipal utilities in Glenwood, Iowa, issued a boiling ordinance beginning at 1:30 pm Tuesday.

In response to the power outage at its water treatment facility, the utility will add water to its system to ensure that water will remain available to its customers. . The water must be boiled before it is consumed, said Mills County Emergency Management Authority. It is safe to use for swimming and housework, officials said. Water conservation is always necessary.

Free drinking water can be collected at Glenwood Town Hall, located at 5 N. Vine St., Glenwood.

The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency has released estimates of financial damages related to floods and recent storms in the state. The numbers are updated as local emergency management teams are able to assess the damage in their counties. You can see the complete list here.

The OPPD decommissioned and deconstructed the former nuclear power plant located north of Omaha, flooded in 2011, and the remaining parts were protected from the Missouri floodwaters by artificial barriers and sandbags, announced officials.

The fuel rests in waterproof, steel-clad, waterproof concrete enclosures on the soleplate.

Residents of Waterloo and Valley are invited to register on the Nextdoor App, on their mobile devices or on the website www.nextdoor.com. The Douglas County Emergency Management Agency will use this app to send key messages in the coming days to those who live in the affected areas.

>> Anyone concerned with pets in flooded areas can contact the Nebraska Humane Society at 402-444-7800. The humanitarian society was heading Monday to western Douglas County with rescue personnel to monitor the animals.

>> Anyone affected with unmet needs can contact 211 for help, officials said. Family reunification needs can also be addressed to 211.

In addition, officials from the Metropolitan Utilities District said that the drinking water provided by MUD continued to meet all federal and national standards. MUD monitors the conditions on the Missouri and Platte Rivers and in all its facilities.