Eastern Nebraska braces for Missouri River flood waters
By Brian Beach 
, Reporter Nebraska Public Media
June 26, 2024, 4 p.m. ·
Listen To This Story
Flood waters along the Missouri River to the north continue to rise as the river flows toward Omaha and Bellevue.
John Winkler, general manager of the Papio Missouri River Natural Resource District, said he expects peak flows on the Missouri River to reach Omaha Friday or Saturday.
That’s a few days later than predicted earlier in the week.
“If you get some levee failures, or if you get some overtopping of levees and you start spreading that flood out into the floodplain areas, that kind of takes the peaks off, or delays the peak time,” Winkler said.
The NRD has closed slide gates and culverts that empty into rivers and installed a flood wall barrier along railroad tracks in Bellevue.
Winkler said low-lying areas within the floodplain, including several riverfront parks and campgrounds along the Missouri River, will experience flooding, but he is confident the levee system will hold in Omaha.
As of Wednesday morning, the Missouri River is expected to crest between 34.8 and 35.4 feet. The flood stage is 27 feet in Omaha.
The 2 inches of rain that parts of Omaha and Bellevue received Tuesday night did not significantly change flooding projections.
Winkler expects up to two feet of additional space on the levee, leaving anything behind it protected.
However, Winkler said people should be alert for any additional changes in the forecast.
“You could get a big rain event and then all sudden the calculus changes," he said. "And then you have new peaks, and it can happen very fast. So, we just want people to just be prepared, have a route and get yourself to safety if you have to.”
Winkler said floodwaters should begin receding Sunday, but water levels in the Missouri River will remain elevated for some time.
At Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, commander Col. Mark Howard said the base is working with the U.S. Army Corps of engineers to conduct levee inspections and monitor rising water levels on the Missouri.
The flooding event will be the first major test of the reinforced levees the base constructed after the 2019 floods.
“Learning from the challenges of the 2011 and 2019 floods, we have implemented advanced flood management strategies to ensure the highest level of preparedness and protection for our base and its assets,” Howard said.