Flood — Nemaha, Nebraska

2011-06-01 to 2011-06-30 · near Peru, Nemaha, Nebraska

Event narrative

Flooding along the Missouri River gradually worsened during June as record releases from Gavins Point Dam and periodic heavy rains brought widespread flooding along the river. The Missouri River at Brownville started June around 39 feet, flood stage is 33 feet. The river gradually climbed to a record crest around 45 feet by the end of the month before falling as downstream levees were breached and widened by flooding. However, significant flooding persisted into July. One man drowned early on June 26th when the boat he was fishing in capsized as it traveled from the Little Nemaha River, where it was launched, onto the flood waters of the Missouri River. Roads, including Highway 136 in Missouri, and the access road to a nuclear power plant, flooded as did recreation areas and farmland along the river. The flooding of Highway 136 prompted the closure of the Brownville, Nebraska bridge over the Missouri River. Over 8,000 acres were covered in flood waters at one point early in June and that number likely grew as the month progressed.

Wider weather episode

A record rain event in May in eastern Montana combined with high water from storms in April and May (and early spring snow melt) and brought high water to the Missouri River chain of reservoirs. The high water levels plus the threat of flood waters due an unusually high snow pack in the Rockies over the upper Missouri River Basin and additional heavy rain all contributed to record releases from the Missouri River Reservoirs. Releases from Gavins Point Dam, which is the last in the chain, increased to over 100 kcfs during the first week of June and then rose to around 160 kcfs by the middle of the month. The previous record release was 70 kcfs. The high releases produced flooding along the Missouri River which gradually worsened from May into June and then continued into July.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (40.5161, -95.7706)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 297283. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.