— Flood hotline. Nebraska Emergency Management Agency public information phone line, 888-656-6045, staffed from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily until further notice.
— Additional shelters. The American Red Cross closed some shelters in central Nebraska that were no longer needed and opened one in Omaha. The three shelters now operating are in Norfolk, Scotia and in Omaha at Elkhorn Middle School.
— Municipal water supplies. Three communities were told to boil drinking and cooking water because of damage to their municipal water supplies: Stanton, Kenesaw and the Buffalo Bill Mobile Home Park in North Platte. Stanton's water supply was compromised by a broken supply main. Kenesaw and the mobile home park had mechanical problems because lightning shorted out their electrical equipment.
— Sewage systems. About 24 sewage systems were releasing untreated sewage or had lagoons swamped by floodwaters.
— Dams. Four dams were breached and two were of concern. Water was receding from the Spalding dam, which was damaged but had not failed. The Hardenbrook Dam, also known as the Ord-North Loup Diversion Dam on the east edge of Ord, was severely damaged. The failed dams are the Ericson, Gracie Creek Road, Sargent and Brethauer dams.
— Public health. If an open cut has been exposed to floodwaters, consider getting a tetanus shot. Some communities have set up clinics. Check with local health officials.
— Road closings. Call 511 or visit www.safetravelusa.com. For local road closings, check with local roads officials.
— Recreational travel. Some of the state's locally or regionally popular recreation areas have been destroyed or damaged or are risky to reach because of flooding. Travel is not recommended on the Bessey Ranger District of the Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands near Halsey. Call ahead if you are uncertain.
— Additional information from State of Nebraska, plus flood, food and water safety tips: www.dhhs.ne.gov
— Set up your own flood alert: The U.S. Geological Survey now offers flood alerts for area rivers via email or cell phone message. To program yours, go to: http://water.usgs.gov/wateralert/
River levels (forecasts are made three days at a time):
Elkhorn River:
Ewing, Neligh — Dropping, but above flood stage at least through Friday.
Norfolk — Expected to crest at 17.1 feet Tuesday night and begin slowly dropping Wednesday, remaining above flood stage at least through Friday.
Pilger — Expected to crest midday Wednesday and remain above flood stage through Friday.
West Point — Expected to crest Wednesday evening and remain above flood stage beyond Friday.
Waterloo — Crested and slowly falling, should drop below flood stage Wednesday.
Platte River:
North Bend — Crested and slowly falling, may drop below flood stage Wednesday night.
Ashland and Louisville — Crested, dropping slowly but remaining above flood stage at least through Friday.
Missouri River:
Bellevue — Continued to spill out of its banks near Haworth Park as it backs up from water discharging from the Platte River. High water is likely to continue into Wednesday between the Missouri River and the levee.
Nebraska City, Brownville, Rulo — Believed to have crested Tuesday and dropping.
Weather Forecast
Chance of intermittent rain and thunderstorms into next week.
Sources: Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, U.S. Geological Survey, National Weather Service, American Red Cross.
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