A prolonged cold spell in late January and early February caused ice over a foot thick to form on slow moving streams and rivers in eastern Nebraska.  When temperatures climbed into the 40s and 50s toward the end of February, snow melt and ice break-up caused significant ice jams on some creeks and rivers across the region.  Those most affected included the Loup River west of Columbus, the Cedar River near Cedar Rapids, the Platte River from Schuyler to the Sarpy and Cass county border, the Elkhorn River from just southeast of Norfolk to near Crowell and Bazile, Ponca and Bow Creeks across Knox county.

Flood in COLFAX, NEBRASKA
From 22-FEB-07 06:30:00 to 22-FEB-07 12:30:00 (CST-6)
Location: SCHUYLER
Flood cause: Ice Jam
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

An ice jam on the Platte River caused water to flow across Highway 15 south of Schuyler briefly closing it for a while.  The flooding was also observed around a park south of town.

Flood in SARPY, NEBRASKA
From 22-FEB-07 22:00:00 to 24-FEB-07 08:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: GRETNA
Flood cause: Ice Jam
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Ice jams and rising water due to snow melt on the Platte River caused water to flood and very large chunks of ice to be thrown up on the banks along the Platte River from northwest of Gretna to southeast of Springfield. During the late evening of the 22nd 5 rescues were made and dozens of homes were evacuated in Sarpy county due to the rising flood waters.  The worst flooding appeared to be near where the Elkhorn and Platte Rivers joined.  Although large blocks of ice were pushed up on the banks and the water flooded roads and farmland, damage extended to homes or cabins was generally reserved to carpets and other low-lying objects.

Flood in DOUGLAS, NEBRASKA
From 22-FEB-07 22:00:00 to 24-FEB-07 08:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: VALLEY
Flood cause: Ice Jam
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Ice jams and rising water due to snow melt on the Platte River caused water to flood and very large chunks of ice to be thrown up on the banks along the Platte River from west of Valley to southwest of Waterloo. The water flooded around some cabins and onto county roads near the river.

Flood in CUMING, NEBRASKA
From 22-FEB-07 20:00:00 to 28-FEB-07 22:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: WISNER
Flood cause: Ice Jam
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Ice jams on the Elkhorn River caused extensive flooding of lowland farmlands from southeast of Wisner to southeast of West Point.  At first the flooding was very unpredictable and unstable due to the forming and breaking up of the jams, but eventually two large jams became established in Cuming county about 3 miles apart near West Point. The flood waters from these ice jams covered at least 1000 acres of farmland and closed many county roads in the area.  In addition...a 15 mile stretch of Highway 275 southeast of Wisner was closed at one time or another with a 5 mile section of the Highway closed for a large part of this period.  A few homes were also surrounded by the flood waters, but flood damage to them was minimal.

Flood in DODGE, NEBRASKA
From 22-FEB-07 20:00:00 to 28-FEB-07 22:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: CROWELL
Flood cause: Ice Jam
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

A large ice jam on the Elkhorn River caused extensive flooding of lowland farmland near the Crowell area that lasted for around a week in late February.  The flooding also closed Highway 275 near Crowell along with several county roads in the area.

Flood in KNOX, NEBRASKA
From 21-FEB-07 09:40:00 to 25-FEB-07 12:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: VERDEL
Flood cause: Ice Jam
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Ice jam flooding was reported on Ponca Creek near Verdel, on Bazile Creek east southeast of Niobrara, Bow Creek near Wynot and Verdigre Creek north of Verdigre.  The jams on Bazile and Ponca Creeks were each at least a mile long at one time, and caused flooding which closed several county roads and flooded farmland in the area.  The jam east of Niobrara also closed Highway 12 from 2 am on 2/22 until 430 am 2/23.

Flood in PLATTE, NEBRASKA
From 21-FEB-07 13:30:00 to 24-FEB-07 03:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: MONROE
Flood cause: Ice Jam
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

An ice jam worked downstream from near Monroe to near the Highway 81 bridge near Columbus.  The ice jam caused some minor lowland flooding around Monroe which flooded some county roads.

Flood in PLATTE, NEBRASKA
From 22-FEB-07 08:30:00 to 25-FEB-07 10:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: PLATTE CENTER
Flood cause: Ice Jam
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Ice jams along Shell Creek from near Platte Center to northeast of Columbus flooded some lowland farmlands and a few county roads in the area.

Flood in CASS, NEBRASKA
From 23-FEB-07 00:47:00 to 23-FEB-07 06:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: PLATTSMOUTH
Flood cause: Ice Jam
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

An ice jam and rising water due to snow melt on the Platte River caused flooding near the Horseshoe Lake Sub division in northern Cass county.

Flood in SAUNDERS, NEBRASKA
From 22-FEB-07 16:00:00 to 28-FEB-07 08:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: MORSE BLUFF
Flood cause: Ice Jam
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Ice jams and rising water due to snow melt on the Platte River caused water to flood and very large chunks of ice to be thrown up on the banks along the Platte River from north of Morse Bluff to southeast of Ashland.  Water topped a dike in two places Thursday night 2/22-2/23/07 flooding a group of 4 cabins near Wann which is just upstream of the Elkhorn and Platte River confluence.  Another cabin in the area received extensive damage as a local levee was topped.  The Cedar Lakes area near Cedar Bluffs also experienced significant flooding due to a 3/4 mile long ice jam near that area.  In addition to the homes and cabins that were flooded or surrounded by water, some county roads were closed in the area.

Flood in BOONE, NEBRASKA
From 20-FEB-07 16:46:00 to 23-FEB-07 16:45:00 (CST-6)
Location: CEDAR RAPIDS
Flood cause: Ice Jam
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

An ice jam along the Cedar River near Cedar Rapids flooded some farmland and few county roads near Cedar Rapids.  The river came out of it's banks between 1/2 and 3/4 of a mile in the area.

Flood in STANTON, NEBRASKA
From 22-FEB-07 03:00:00 to 24-FEB-07 03:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: STANTON
Flood cause: Ice Jam
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Ice jam flooding along the Elkhorn River closed county roads and surrounded 4 houses west of Stanton near the Madison county line.

Flood in BUTLER, NEBRASKA
From 22-FEB-07 06:30:00 to 22-FEB-07 12:30:00 (CST-6)
Location: BELLWOOD
Flood cause: Ice Jam
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

An ice jam on the Platte River caused some flooding around some cabins near the Brandeburgh Lakes area and closed a few county roads northwest of Bellwood for a while this day.  After the jam broke downstream, the water went down fairly quickly.

Flood in DODGE, NEBRASKA
From 22-FEB-07 16:00:00 to 28-FEB-07 08:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: NORTH BEND
Flood cause: Ice Jam
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Ice jams and rising water due to snow melt on the Platte River caused water to flood near and very large chunks of ice to be thrown up on the banks surrounding at least 30 homes and cabins from the McGinns Lake area near North Bend to the Mangus and Legge's Lakes area near Fremont. Flood waters also surrounded the Big Island area and a few county roads were also flooded in the region.