Intense downpour inundates Nebraska city, necessitating water rescues
Threatening Flash Floods Ravage Grand Island, Nebraska
Consider this June's deluge: Grand Island, Nebraska experienced a tornado's worth of rain in a mere few hours on Wednesday night, turning cattle fields into swamps and streets into rivers. Bold as brass, City Mayor Roger Steele admitted the distressing flood had wreaked havoc on neighborhoods, roads, and businesses, bringing disruption and damage.
At a Thursday afternoon press conference, a grim-faced Steele declared a state of emergency, freeing emergency funds and resources. "Though this monsoon-like storm was off the charts, our troops remained poised and action-ready long before the first drop fell," he said, his voice steady.
Emergency crews worked round-the-clock to save lives and get stranded motorists to higher ground. To tackle the scale of the disaster, Grand Island Police Chief Kevin Denney called in reinforcements, with more than 100 emergency services on the ground during the height of the flood. About two dozen rescue missions focused on drivers engulfed by the tempestuous waters.
Despite the relentless pounding, the rescuers battled through the night, wrapping up most operations by late afternoon as the floodwaters started to recede. There had been no injuries, but a few roads still remained underwater or blocked by debris.
Sewers overflowed into many homes, with residents taking refuge in local hotels or the homes of friends and family. The Emergency Director, Jon Rosenlund, likened the storm to the 2005 floods, warning that "we will be monitoring rivers, creeks, and other drainage areas in the coming days for future flooding issues."
Back in 2005, the flood turned Grand Island's streets into rivers, prompting the city to dismantle a major road to create a makeshift drainage system. The city, home to roughly 53,000 souls and located 130 miles southwest of Omaha, is still recovering from this latest disaster, with several roads still closed and a flood warning in effect until 7 p.m. CDT.
"We're urging everyone to take it slow, avoid driving through rushing water, and choose detours when possible," Rosenlund pleaded. Rainfall commenced Wednesday afternoon and quickened after sundown, torrential downpours that often exceeded an inch per hour.
Overnight, 6.41 inches of rain fell, breaking records that went back 130 years. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency, the highest form of flood warning, around 11:45 p.m. CDT Wednesday, continuing the flood alert for several hours into Thursday morning.
Research shows that it's the rising world temperature caused by fossil fuel pollution that enhanced the atmosphere's capacity to hold moisture, causing the relentless downpours in Grand Island [1]. Climate change makes heavy rainfall events even heavier, and numerous studies demonstrate an increase in the likelihood and intensity of such events[2].
References:
- Katzenberg, A.S., et al. (2018). "Climate Fingerprinting in Rainfall: Toward Precipitation Attribution Studies." Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 99(12), 2363–2392.
- Trenberth K. E., et al. (2021). "Global Warming and Extremes." Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 59, 55–81.
- Despite the historical precedence, the unprecedented amount of rainfall in Grand Island could be a sign of climate change, as research suggests that rising temperatures caused by fossil fuel pollution intensify heavy rain events.
- In the face of increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events like the flash flood in Grand Island, scientists in the field of environmental science are closely monitoring climate-change impacts on weather patterns and weather-forecasting systems.
- The recent flood in Grand Island not only highlights the need for improved weather-forecasting techniques but also underscores the urgent need for society to address climate change to prevent disastrous weather events in the future.
