Flooding closes highway in eastern Nebraska as rivers rise
COLUMBUS, Neb. (KLKN) – As the snowpack built over the winter melts rapidly, some parts of eastern Nebraska saw rising river levels Thursday.
“It’s always worrisome because this wouldn’t be the first time this happened,” said Glenn Asche, who lives in Platte County between the Platte and Loup rivers.
He remembers the flooding of 2019.
While the floodwaters have not yet reached those levels, neighbors remain cautious.
The Platte County Sheriff’s Office shared photos of an ice jam causing flooding on the Loup River southwest of Columbus.
The Storm Alert Team said ice jams are possible in the Loup, Platte and Elkhorn Rivers through Saturday.
The Nebraska Department of Transportation closed U.S. Highway 30 from Silver Creek to just south of Columbus as water spilled onto the roadway.
Asche said the rising waters can make getting around difficult.
“The problem is, is once we put the (flood)gate up, there’s no getting in or out of the housing area out here,” he said. “So if the waters are up for three days, we end up having to stay in town until they can open the roads back up.”
And in 2019, those roads had to be repaired before he could get back.
One neighbor to the Loup and Platte rivers said he’s closely monitoring his driveway to get ready to move his cows.
