2024 Missouri River Flooding

[Brad]

So I made a post ealier in the Weather Thread, but after doing some digging, this probably requires its own thread?

By Wednesday 6/26, Omaha will be only 0.4" below Moderate Flood Stage.

Flood.JPG

[Brad]

The Missouri River in Omaha is now expected to crest 981.6, which could go higher with all the rain tonight. 981.6 would also put it in the Moderate Flooding.

981.6 will flood Tom Hanafan Park. The main park area will be about 1.6" below water
981.6 will flood the marina and sculpture next to it on the Omaha Riverfront. The concrete area around the sculpture will have about 4 feet of water around it.

Screenshot 2024-06-21-flood.png

[Brad]

Also, I believe 981.6 is less 2 feet from closing I29.

[Uffda]

I am up in the Sioux Falls area and it has been raining heavily at times in the area. I have seen reports of 6”-11” since Thursday. As of Saturday morning I-29 is closed south of Sioux Falls due to flooding. The detour they setup to get around this area is now closed due to flooding.
If you have ever been to the Falls in Sioux Falls it currently looks like raging rapids. Oh and all the water is coming to the Missouri River via the Big Sioux River
Falls Cam https://www.keloland.com/weather/live-cameras/

[BRoss]

Heard it may flood starting Wednesday. My parents have a cabin in the Missouri up north and they are unable to boat and will be taking their dock out.

[S.O.Boy]

Another example of why this site is better than local news.

[stormchaser]

I am up in the Sioux Falls area and it has been raining heavily at times in the area. I have seen reports of 6”-11” since Thursday. As of Saturday morning I-29 is closed south of Sioux Falls due to flooding. The detour they setup to get around this area is now closed due to flooding.
If you have ever been to the Falls in Sioux Falls it currently looks like raging rapids. Oh and all the water is coming to the Missouri River via the Big Sioux River
Falls Cam https://www.keloland.com/weather/live-cameras/

My parents live in far northwest IA (about 30 miles southeast of Sioux Falls) and it’s a mess there too.

Flooding here as this all washes downstream in a few days is going to be interesting. Hopefully it doesn’t get too crazy but it might…

[Uffda]

My parents live in far northwest IA (about 30 miles southeast of Sioux Falls) and it’s a mess there too.

Flooding here as this all washes downstream in a few days is going to be interesting. Hopefully it doesn’t get too crazy but it might…

Yes many small towns in NW Iowa have been affected. Inwood Rock Rapids, Hawarden and Spencer have all had flooded streets and downtowns.

Rain stopped Saturday afternoon but this water will take awhile to go down. I was planning to ride the Sioux Falls bike path while I was here but that mostly under water now.

[BRoss]

I can't help but think of what stormchaser said a month ago:

Actually you’d be surprised - it’s fairly common for droughts to “end” with floods. Usually it isn’t gradual - usually the weather pattern just changes and you go to the other extreme for a while…

I feel like that is what happened from the late 80's into the early 90's. It was really dry in the 80's and then the early 90's had a ton of flooding including 1993, when much of the midwest was under water.

Yep - in a way you could think of an extended drought almost as a “warning sign” kind of like when waters recede before a tsunami that a flood is going to happen - it’s just a matter of when…

[stormchaser]

I can't help but think of what stormchaser said a month ago:

Actually you’d be surprised - it’s fairly common for droughts to “end” with floods. Usually it isn’t gradual - usually the weather pattern just changes and you go to the other extreme for a while…

I feel like that is what happened from the late 80's into the early 90's. It was really dry in the 80's and then the early 90's had a ton of flooding including 1993, when much of the midwest was under water.

Yep - in a way you could think of an extended drought almost as a “warning sign” kind of like when waters recede before a tsunami that a flood is going to happen - it’s just a matter of when…

Unfortunately it's a pattern that seems to repeat itself so like I said back then, no surprise but tragic regardless.

[iamjacobm]

The river is already looking really full on the CWS drone shots and now the forecast is projecting a higher crest this week than the 2019 flood, making it the third highest in recorded history. If I remember right the 2019 floods were more prolonged and this is looking like a shorter-term event being back below flood levels by about the 4th, but definitely going to create problems.

[Uffda]

They shut down i29 north of Sioux City. Volunteer evacuation of Dakota Dunes and they are building a dike up there. Sioux River is predicted to be 10’ over record.

[stormchaser]

12z 3km NAM is showing heavy rain for areas south of Omaha in the coming days. Not a good situation if this happens in those areas.

This map shows the depicted rain totals between now and Wednesday evening. To clarify, chances are this is over done as other models aren't showing this much rain - so "hopefully" it doesn't happen like this, but its something to keep an eye on.

[Uffda]

Looks like they will be opening i29 later tonight.

“Later on in the early morning (today) , the Big Sioux River crested at 44.9 feet, beating the current record by over seven feet and three feet higher than what was predicted by experts.

A levy has been built along Interstate 29 and currently houses the flood water as part of the emergency plan of North Sioux City. It is still unknown how many homes were lost on McCook Lake.”

https://www.keloland.com/news/local-new ... s-morning/

[Uffda]

The residential area around McCook Lake, on the west side of i29 and just north of Dakota Dunes has heavy damage. I have driven on i29 thru there probably 100s of times and didn’t even realize there was a lake there seems to be an old oxbow of the Missouri. River.

[stormchaser]

I-29 to I-680 north of Omaha is closing at ~11 AM...

https://www.ketv.com/article/interstate ... g/61307938

[MahaBman]

Flooding as of 11am on 6/25/24.

[Louie]

How much higher are they planning?

[Brad]

How much higher are they planning?

Current = 28.9'
Forecasted Crest = 35.4'

[Louie]

How much higher are they planning?

Current = 28.9'
Forecasted Crest = 35.4'

Gonna put a bunch of walkways on the NE side under with 6 more feet.

[skinzfan23]

Any chance that the river crests lower than forecasted?

The only reason I am asking is they predicted it to be around 32.5 ft this morning and currently its just under 30.5. Obviously all the rain the metro received last night didn't help, but maybe /hopefully it will crest a few feet lower. (they did predict 35.4 and now its saying 35.1, so it did go down a little)

[BRoss]

Any chance that the river crests lower than forecasted?

The only reason I am asking is they predicted it to be around 32.5 ft this morning and currently its just under 30.5. Obviously all the rain the metro received last night didn't help, but maybe /hopefully it will crest a few feet lower. (they did predict 35.4 and now its saying 35.1, so it did go down a little)

A story yesterday said the crest is now a little later than first forecast.

Officials now predicting the river will crest in Council Bluffs around 1 p.m. Thursday

https://www.ketv.com/article/officials- ... s/61414272

[skinzfan23]

They did reduce it down to 34.9 from the previous high of 35.8 predicted at one point.

[Brad]

They did reduce it down to 34.9 from the previous high of 35.8 predicted at one point.

Looks like it will be at that 34.9 until Saturday now.

https://water.noaa.gov/gauges/OMHN1

[iamjacobm]

[Brad]

I went down tonight at shot a few photos.

881A1180.jpg

[BRoss]

Crazy, thanks for the shots!

[skinzfan23]

Now the prediction is updated to 33.1 ft. That would be even better than the 35.

[Brad]

When I flew out of Eppley this morning, I noticed Gifford Farm was under water.
When I flew back to Eppley this evening, I noticed I680 was under water.

[skinzfan23]

It does seem like the water is leveling off some. Still just under 32ft and expected to crest at 33.1 ft midday on Saturday.

[mgoett]

Here are a couple phone pics after work. I took them north looking south north of Gallop. The other is looking north of river city star. I think that view will be from the soccer stadium.

[mgoett]

[mgoett]

[mgoett]

Too bad that Gallop couldn't do prairie in bloom north.

[skinzfan23]

Looks like the river is already heading down after cresting just under 33ft. It has already gone down by about 7-8” today.

[BRoss]

Some pictures of I-29 from Iowa 511:

2024 I-29 I-680.JPG

2024 I-29 MM67.JPG