Nebraska is reeling from record levels of flooding – the worst in 50 years – that has killed two, caused thousands to evacuate, and turned towns into floating islands. Platte County farmer James Wilke, 50, died on Thursday while trying to rescue trapped locals on his tractor. Norfolk man Aleido Rojas Galan, 55, died Friday after his car got swept in the current and he swam for help and later succumbed to his injuries. Nebraska’s Niobrara, Platte and Elkhorn Rivers broke their banks and flooded into nearby towns this week. The Niobrara River broke the Spencer Dam on Thursday, submerging the nearby town of Lincoln. The town of Fremont was turned into an island when the Elkhorn River overflowed. Governor Pete Ricketts declared a state of emergency in 53 counties, saying that one-third of the state has been affected in the devastating floods.
Nebraska under water: Two killed as record levels of flooding break through dams, turn towns into islands, and force people onto their rooftops to be rescued as 2,600 are urged to evacuate
- Nebraska is reeling from record levels of flooding – the worst in 50 years – that has killed two locals
- Platte County farmer James Wilke, 50, died Thursday while trying to rescue trapped locals on his tractor
- Norfolk man Aleido Rojas Galan, 55, died Friday after his car got swept in the current and he swam for help
- He was found clinging on to a tree for dear life and later succumbed to his injuries
- Nebraska’s Niobrara, Platte, Missouri and Elkhorn Rivers broke their banks and flooded this week
- The Niobrara River broke the Spencer Dam on Thursday, submerging the nearby town of Lincoln
- The town of Fremont was turned into an island when the Elkhorn and Platte Rivers overflowed
- Governor Pete Ricketts declared a state of emergency in 53 counties, saying that one-third of the state has been affected in the devastating floods
- Rain and snow is still forecast for Monday and Tuesday
Two people have been killed in Nebraska as the submerged state grapples with the worst flooding its seen in 50 years.
Rainfall and swollen rivers, left in the wake of the ‘bomb cyclone’ winter storm swirling through the US, has left Nebraska inundated with water, neighborhoods completely submerged, and bridges ripped apart.
Governor Pete Ricketts declared a state of emergency in 53 counties, saying that one-third of the state has been affected in the devastating floods and 2,600 locals living near rivers were urged to evacuate on Friday.
‘This is the largest widespread amount of flooding we’ve had in the last half century,’ Ricketts said on the deluge.
Nebraska saw its various rivers break through their banks, cresting at up to 25 feet and rushing into neighborhoods, forcing locals to climb on their roofs and cry for help.
