A once-in-a-thousand-years rain: Up to 11 inches swamp a swath of southeast Nebraska

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald

By Nancy Gaarder, David Hendee and Andrew J. Nelson

LINCOLN — An elderly woman was missing from Fairbury and hundreds of Nebraskans were evacuated from their homes Thursday as flash flooding threatened their neighborhoods.

Up to 11 inches of rain fell in parts of southeast Nebraska — enough to rank as at least a 1-in-1,000-year rainfall, according to the National Weather Service. Hardest hit by flooding was DeWitt.

The flooding was the result of an unusual continuous rain along a narrow corridor. The storms were about 20 miles wide and traveling “straight as an arrow” from Hardy, Nebraska, to Lincoln, said meteorologist Ryan Pfannkuch of the weather service.

Runoff overwhelmed creeks and streams, and, in some cases, flooded communities downstream of the downpours. That was the case in Fairbury, where only about a half-inch of rain fell, but the Little Blue River surged out of its banks after 8 inches to 10 inches fell upstream.

FULL story at link. Tornado video: http://studio.omaha.com/?ndn.trackingGroup=91341&ndn.siteSection=omahalanding&ndn.videoId=29029432&freewheel=91341&sitesection=omahalanding&vid=29029432







Read more: http://www.omaha.com/weather/a-once-in-a-thousand-years-rain-up-to-inches/article_dc33d658-f54e-11e4-8e05-030c6790d431.html

[rurallib]

1. sadly we have had several "once in hundred, once in five hundred or

once in a thousand" year rains in the past 20 years.

My greatest sympathy for these folks. I don't know if is anything worse than water.

[sendero]

2. I live in far north TX...

.... we got 2.5 inches Tues night, 2.5 inches Wed night and over 5 inches (rain gauge overflowed) last night. Flooding in nearby cities.


And we are supposed to get more rain tonight and tomorrow night. Enough already

[snooper2]

7. not enough already, let it rain let it rain let it rain :)

I haven't had to use the sprinkler system this year...garden is looking awesome-

And the water reserve conservation pond thing around the corner from my house is getting huge! More fun for me and my daughter in the canoe

[davidpdx]

3. I hope you and your fellow Nebraskans hang in there

I've visited the state twice and remember how flat it is in most places. I spent one Christmas in Bennett. A quaint little city.

[Thor_MN]

4. Watch this get locked as local news

When Minnesota had a storm like this I was told feel free to post in the Minnesota forum, but was not of national interest. OTFOH, a weather blurb from the local section of a Los Angeles newspaper saying there was a slight chance of light rain a couple of days ahead was left alone, because crops and drought and STFUFlyOver.

[Brickbat]

5. Reminds me of '92.

[jwirr]

6. Was Seward NE included in this area? I used to live there and I think the Big Blue runs right

through the town.

[TwilightGardener]

8. Awful. But southeastern Nebraska/western Iowa seems to flood

A LOT. I know it seemed that way when I lived there.

[Bigmack]

9. How come Christian, Republican

states are getting such bad weather? Ms Bigmack

[Politicalboi]

10. Gay marriage of course

We're here in Ca shooing away the rain clouds to christian states, making both Ca and Nebraska suffer. We're here we're queer and we're pissed.