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LINCOLN — For the second day in a row, cloudy weather on Saturday thwarted Gov. Dave Heineman from his plans to survey spring weather problems from aboard a National Guard Black Hawk helicopter.
The canceled trip had two aims: to assess flooding potential along the Platte River and to get a bird's-eye view of the condition of Nebraska county roads damaged by this winter's unusual weather combinations.
Heineman originally had hoped to make the trip Friday morning, spending a couple of hours surveying ice jams along the Platte River from approximately Columbus to Ashland. The trip was considered again Friday afternoon and then Saturday morning. All three times, low clouds made the trip too risky in the judgment of National Guard officials.
Officials with the Governor's Office will continue to monitor flooding dangers before deciding whether to try again next week, said spokeswoman Ashley Cradduck.
Heineman said Saturday he has been getting daily reports from the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency about potential flooding, including photographs. As of Saturday, an ice jam near West Point, Neb., was causing the most concern. He said he is hopeful that the threat of flooding is beginning to ease.
“The water in the Platte River is flowing fairly nicely now, although we're watching every day for potential flooding,” he said.
Larry Dix, executive director of the Nebraska Association of County Officials, said the condition of rural roads in many counties is a near emergency situation.
“For many roads, the condition is just like a piece of chocolate candy sitting on the dash of your car on a warm day,” he said. “You just sort of sink.”
He said that road clearing efforts during last winter's blizzards essentially scraped the base layer of gravel off many roads. In areas where there were deep drifts in the ditches, the roads became saturated because there was nowhere else for water to run as the snow melted. To make matters worse, many county budgets are depleted because of the expense of snow clearing.
“Now that everybody's blown through their budgets for snow, it's going to be tough,” Dix said. “If there are some emergency funds available, we would encourage a look at it. It's pretty serious.”
Heineman said he wants to get a better assessment of the situation before he suggests possible strategies to address it.
“This is a responsibility (of government),” he added. “We're all going to make sure we have safe roads.”
Contact the writer:
402-473-9581, leslie.reed@owh.com
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