Overnight rain turned Omaha roadways into rivers, closing U.S. 75 in both directions, flooding U.S. 6, and stranding vehicles near 168th and Harrison streets as emergency crews fanned out across the metro to deal with the fallout. A jackknifed semi tied up Interstate 80 near 42nd Street, and across the river in Iowa, a mudslide shut down a stretch of highway in Pottawattamie County.
Excessive rain caused multiple streets to close and triggered major driving problems from flash flooding across the Omaha area, according to KETV. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for the metro area that remained in effect until 3 a.m., warning that the situation was dangerous and life-threatening and advising residents not to travel unless they were fleeing floodwater or under an evacuation order.
Highways Swamped From Downtown to Sarpy County
Nebraska 511 reported that U.S. 75 was closed in both directions because of flooding stretching from Interstate 480 to U.S. 6 and Sorensen Parkway, effectively cutting off a key north-south artery through the city. U.S. 6 itself was flooded in both directions from North Saddle Creek Road to South 44th Street, the agency said, per the same KETV account of road conditions overnight.
Sarpy County 911 reported heavy flooding covering roadways at three separate intersections: Highway 370 and 168th Street, 175th Street and Oakmont Drive, and Highway 6 near Linoma Beach. Some vehicles were stranded in flooded streets near 168th and Harrison streets, while fire and rescue crews worked in the area of 143rd and Hillsdale, the station reported.
Jackknifed Semi, Crash Snarl Interstate 80
The flooding wasn't the only hazard tying up traffic. Nebraska 511 reported a jackknifed semi on Interstate 80 near 42nd Street, and the agency separately reported a westbound I-80 crash affecting travel from Exit 452 near Eppley Airfield and downtown to Exit 451 near 42nd Street in Omaha.
Across the Missouri River in Pottawattamie County, Old Lincoln Highway was closed from Sumac to 170th Street because of a mudslide, per Pottawattamie County Emergency Management. A viewer named Brandy Casson sent in a photo of the mudslide, while another KETV viewer, Sara Dappen, sent a video of flooding near 40th and Grover as the rain overwhelmed low-lying streets throughout the night.
Thousands Lose Power as Storms Sweep the Region
The storms that caused the flooding also knocked out electricity across the metro. The Omaha Public Power District reported 3,687 customers without power as of 2 a.m. Thursday, with most of those outages concentrated in Douglas County. The outages came as storms brought excessive rain to parts of Nebraska and Iowa, causing both flash flooding and the loss of electricity, OPPD's report noted.
The heavy rain had been forecast days in advance. Heavy rain was expected to lead to flash flooding in southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa, according to 3 News Now, which reported that most areas were expected to see 1 to 3 inches of rain while some locations could see more than 5 inches. That outlet warned the additional wet weather would likely lead to flooded creeks, rivers and farm fields beyond just city streets.
A Historically Wet September Set the Stage
The overnight flooding capped off an unusually soggy month for the region. September rainfall at Eppley Airfield was just short of 7 inches as of Tuesday morning, ranking among the top 10 wettest Septembers on record, 3 News Now reported. Saturated ground from that stretch likely left the metro with even less capacity to absorb another round of heavy rain before it turned streets into standing water.
It isn't the first time the Omaha area has seen flooding on this scale. A National Weather Service summary of a prior flooding event in the Omaha and Council Bluffs area found that rainfall amounts of 3 to 5 inches were common, with several unofficial reports of 6 inches or more, according to the agency's weather.gov account of that episode. Overnight closures left drivers across Douglas, Sarpy and Pottawattamie counties facing a tangle of detours, stranded vehicles and crews working to clear hazards as the floodwaters receded.
