Flash Flood — Howard, Nebraska

2024-05-30 · near Cotesfield, Howard, Nebraska

Event narrative

Radar estimates and local reports showed that between 2 and 5 inches of rain fell across the area, mostly in a period of two hours from approximately 7AM to 9AM. The highest amounts occurred in central and west-central portions of Howard County. Emergency management and law enforcement reported that water was covering parts of Highway 92 in the Farwell area as well as parts of Highway 11 in the Elba area. Water was running over rural roads, and numerous rural roads ended up being closed. Small creeks were flooded, with this water eventually making into and flooding the Turkey Creek, which runs north of Dannebrog and eventually into the Middle Loup River.

Wider weather episode

Multiple rounds of thunderstorms brings isolated, but significant, heavy rainfall to portions of Howard County from May 30th into the 31st. The initial bout of strong thunderstorms and heavy rainfall developed during the early morning hours of May 30th. This activity was the result of a mesoscale convective vortex (MCV) that emanated from convection over the High Plains the previous evening. Another round of strong thunderstorms and heavy rainfall moved through during the afternoon hours of the 31st. The two rain events combined to produce several inches of rainfall, which resulted in areas of flooding and flash flooding. Statistically speaking, the amount and rate of the rainfall made this event a 100 year flood.

The Farwell and Elba areas were hit particularly hard, in which impacts included: many rural roads closed, highways had at least shallow water running over them but were not closed, homes with water inside, and flooded cropland. There were videos of rapidly rushing streams and flows of water from fields, with another video showing maintainers being used to clear debris from portions of Highway 92 east of Ashton near the Sherman/Howard County line. Finally, the Turkey Creek near Dannebrog crested just below the record crest, which was set during the Bomb Cyclone in March 2019.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (41.3430, -98.7481)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1180379. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.