OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Omaha emergency crews rescued dozens of people Thursday morning from flooding as waters reached depths of 8 feet in some areas of the city.
“The National Weather Service tells us the Missouri River jumped three feet from the rain in Omaha, which is significant. They also say we are set to dry out over the next week, which us also important,” Mayor John Ewing Jr. said in a live update later that morning.
Widespread street flooding, mudslides, and road closures from overnight storms also made the Thursday morning commute treacherous, causing delays and creating disruptions for thousands of Omaha Public Schools students.
“Everything we know about last night is that pretty much city-wide it exceeded a 100-year event, OK? We don’t design for that. We designed for a 10-year event; it was a 100-year event on top of one of the wettest Septembers ever.”
“I’m going to say that we performed the best we could under the circumstances, but we can’t design for every storm on the storm sewer side,” Jim Tyler with Omaha Public Works said during the mayor’s news conference.
Dashcam video Wednesday night showed a semi-truck narrowly avoiding other vehicles on I-80 in Omaha before spinning perpendicular across traffic amid heavy rain and limited visibility.
Dozens rescued
According to an Omaha Fire Department update sent out at about 10:30 a.m., crews rescued several drivers that were stranded by flooding in low-lying areas across the city.
OFD said they rescued or helped about 60 people and several pets at 62nd and J streets, where flood waters that reached depths of 6 to 8 feet. Six parties from that area were assisted with shelter by the Red Cross, while all other found shelter with friends or family, according to the update.
“Crews checked roughly affected 100 homes that were affected, though some residents that chose to remain in their homes,” the OFD update said.
Crews also rescued people from a flooded business at 70th and Q streets and approximately 10 people from several mobile homes in the area of 137th and L streets. About 14 people were also rescued from a trucking business at 78th and I streets, four of them from semi-trucks.
Watch the city’s update
Mayor John Ewing Jr. and other city officials also gave an update on Omaha’s flood response at the end of his previously scheduled 10:30 a.m. news conference on domestic violence.
Road closures
Mayor Ewing said Thursday that flood-control efforts had been effective.
“Papio NRD Levees functioned well, which is great,” he said. “They are assessing the damage, however. We are still in a flash flood warning — please pay attention, and don’t drive in flooded areas.”
City officials asked drivers to avoid the following areas on Thursday due to flooding and debris:
The city also advised that South 156th Street, between F and Garfield streets, would be closed until further notice due to flooding.
It was a continuation of closures drivers across the Omaha metro navigated during the morning commute, causing significant delays and detours Thursday morning as several key corridors remain blocked for the morning drive.
In Sarpy County, Highway 370 was closed between 31st Street and the JFK Freeway interchange.
Highway 370 is closed Thursday morning.(First Alert 6 Traffic)
NDOT traffic cameras show water slowly receding at 25th Street.(First Alert 6 Traffic)
NDOT traffic cameras showed water slowly receding at 25th Street, but heavy mud and standing water must be cleared before the road can reopen. The closure followed widespread flooding where Big Papillion Creek meets Papillion Creek near 36th Street and Highway 370. The Papio NRD director confirmed to First Alert 6 that a Bellevue Police cruiser was swept off the road at that location.
There is widespread flooding where Big Papillion Creek meets Papillion Creek near 36th Street and Highway 370.(First Alert 6 Traffic)
Bellevue crews also closed 25th Street between Bellevue Medical Center Drive and Gilmore Road, the intersection of 36th Street and Raynor Parkway, and areas north of 48th Street and Cornhusker Road.
Nebraska Medicine confirmed that Bellevue Medical Center would remain open; First Alert 6’s Jaret Lansford advised using Capehart Road and heading north on 25th Street as the best route to reach the facility.
In Sarpy County, 66th Street remains shut down between Ashwood Avenue and Cedardale Road.
Highway impacts & reopenings
Regional routes were also impacted. In western Iowa, Old Lincoln Highway closed in both directions between Sumac Road and 170th Street near Honey Creek and Loveland because of a mudslide.
In western Iowa, Harrison County Emergency Management reported an injury crash west of Persia after pavement collapsed on 296th Street. Officials also reported a washout on 286th Street, while two earlier mudslides near Missouri Valley and Highway 44 have been cleared.
Several major routes have reopened in time for the commute, including 72nd Street between P and Washington streets in Ralston, L Street near 56th Street, Highway 77 near Ceresco, Nebraska, the North Freeway, Center Road at 204th Street, Highway 6 near Ashland, and Highway 44 near Portsmouth, Iowa.
Power outages
Power outages also lingered across the metro early Thursday. Just over 1,000 Omaha Public Power District customers remain without service as of Thursday morning, according to OPPD’s outage map.
Outages peaked above 3,000 overnight. By about 11:30 a.m., outages had been reduced to 857 customers.
Just over 1,000 Omaha Public Power District customers remain without service Thursday morning.(Omaha Public Power District)
At that same time, MidAmerican Energy was reporting 33 customers in Council Bluffs were without power.
By 1:30 p.m., all outages had been resolved.
Early morning warnings & rescues
Authorities urged drivers to use extreme caution as runoff from tropical moisture tied to the remnants of Hurricane Polo continues to pool on area streets.
First Alert 6 crews monitored trouble spots across the metro overnight, including near 144th and Pacific streets, where at least seven vehicles stalled in floodwaters just north of the intersection.
A Nebraska State Trooper on scene said he was among the first emergency responders in the area, where rising water also created significant challenges for tow trucks attempting to reach the stranded cars.
Viewer video sent to First Alert 6 showed deep water covering the roadway near 62nd and L streets, where law enforcement officers deployed personal watercraft and jet skis to navigate the flooding and assist multiple people and vehicles trapped in the area.
Both the National Weather Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers warned that standing water remains the primary hazard this morning and remind motorists never to drive through flooded roads.
Morning bus delays
OPS warned families that flooding has blocked access to several bus lots, causing major delays and possible cancellations across morning routes.
While classes are set to proceed on schedule, the district urged parents to drive their children if possible and track buses on the Zum app.
“Please be safe as you make your way to school today. The Omaha metro area received a large amount of rain last night, causing flooding in many areas and resulting in numerous road closures this morning.
For up-to-date traffic updates, please check local television news stations or local radio stations.
Bussing routes could potentially be affected, so please be patient with our transportation department this morning.
We ask that you please plan ahead and allow extra time to get to school.
If you encounter significant transportation barriers, please call your school to inform them if your child will be late or unable to attend today.
Be safe, Ram Nation.”
Ralston Public Schools also alerted families Thursday morning that widespread flooding and closures could affect bus routes:
“Overnight rain, flooding and road closures will impact morning bus routes. Access to some bus lots is currently limited.
Many routes will be delayed, some may not be available at all. Families may use the Zum app to check the location of their student’s bus.
Safety is always our top priority.
If families can transport their student to school, we recommend it. Please leave additional time and take extra care on area roads because of the current conditions.
School will proceed as scheduled today.
We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding as we work to resume normal operations as safely and quickly as possible.”
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