Western Railroad Discussion > Nebraska Rainfall Update

Here is an update on the excessive rainfall in south central Nebraska. It has caused a change in the UPRR's Big Boy schedule. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/10/19 09:20 by MSE.

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Must be pretty bad between Lexington and GI, that's at worst an hour forty five drive.

Out



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/10/19 10:22 by callum_out.

As of 12:07 PM Jul 10, the steam site says 4014 will stay in NP until further notice, on account of water levels rising faster than projected.

Stay tuned, I guess...
 

Hello,

Headed to the Omaha area today and was hoping to catch the 4014 and other trains on the triple track over the next few days. Anyone know if UP is anticipating the transcon will be shut down due to washouts/flooding or is this just precautionary?

Thanks,
Troy

Posted from Android

TRAINS mag was live on Facebook just now, I caught the last part of it.  I believe they said Track 3 at Gibbon is out of service.  Video showed water on both sides of Old 30.

Another FB page has drone video showing the town of Gibbon flooded with the tracks just east of town partially covered.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/10/19 11:01 by switchlock.

Only good news is that its looks mainly dry over the next week to 10 days. The Climate Prediction Center agrees: drier than normal with above average temperatures. It will really help the corn crop.


Allen

Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/10/19 13:10 by bradleymckay.

Allen, I lived back there for nine years, the weather prognosticators were wrong even when they
opened a window and looked out! They were really good at predicting a tornado when one touched
down. If the mess currently in the Gulf proceeds North all bets are off.

Out

Lots of photos here including sereral of UP around Gibbon.

https://www.theindependent.com/news/local/photos-flooding-and-preventative-measures-in-gibbon-and-wood-river/collection_bae85f34-a326-11e9-8f6f-9f15b8332311.html#22

 

There is a book you badly need to read:   https://www.amazon.com/Warnings-Story-Science-Tamed-Weather/dp/1608320340/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= 


callum_out Wrote:
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> Allen, I lived back there for nine years, the
> weather prognosticators were wrong even when they
> opened a window and looked out! They were really
> good at predicting a tornado when one touched
> down. If the mess currently in the Gulf proceeds
> North all bets are off.
>
> Out

Lots of water in the Mississippi and Missouri river basins heading south now.  And a lot of rainfall expected in New Orleans (which already has some flooding) over the next few days.

MSE. that's interesting, wouldn't want first person observations to get in the way of some author.

Out

callum_out Wrote:
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> MSE. that's interesting, wouldn't want first
> person observations to get in the way of some
> author.
>
> Out

Pssst....he’s the author

Posted from iPhone

New Orleans may be in a dire situation. The Mississippi is forecast to crest at 20' which is the height of the top of the levees. In addition, heavy rain is possible due to forecast Tropical Storm/Hurricane Barry. If a storm surge should developing, Katrina-type flooding may result. 

I would post the hydrograph of the Mississippi forecast crest but their web page is so busy I can't get in at the moment. 

It was just posted on Twitter. 



Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> Lots of water in the Mississippi and Missouri
> river basins heading south now.  And a lot of
> rainfall expected in New Orleans (which already
> has some flooding) over the next few days.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/10/19 16:57 by MSE.

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You would think they would quickly open the rest of the spillways at bonnet carre Spillway. Only have 168 open out of 350 gates.

Posted from iPhone

Wednesday was originally a layover/rest day @ North Platte, NE.

MSE Wrote:
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> Here is an update on the excessive rainfall in
> south central Nebraska. It has caused a change in
> the UPRR's Big Boy schedule. 

So, how about building a 60 inch pipeline from the confluence of the Platte and the Missouri (which should help
the Mississippi) and run it to the headwaters of the Colorado. Doesn't have to run all the time and it would sure
help the western reservoir system. Cost - about the same as the fighter prototypes the Air Force keeps wanting.

Out

callum_out Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So, how about building a 60 inch pipeline from the
> confluence of the Platte and the Missouri (which
> should help
> the Mississippi) and run it to the headwaters of
> the Colorado. Doesn't have to run all the time and
> it would sure
> help the western reservoir system. Cost - about
> the same as the fighter prototypes the Air Force
> keeps wanting.

The volume of water that can be practically pumped through a 60 inch diameter pipe is nothing compared to the volume of water that flows through the Platte or the Missouri even on a low flow day.

Posted from iPhone

60 foot diameter pipeline would not do enough either. The flow rates are huge and the spillway is the best method. Worked on the Mississippi River just south of New Orleans for several years and have seen some interesting situations occur.

Don Allender

You greedy Midwesterners, won't even share your excess water!! Little tongue in cheek on the 5 foot pipe, we drove down to the spillway
on the dam near Yankton during the last major Missouri flood and it was flowing 14,000 cfs which is just an insane amount of water. It
would be nice to be able to send some of that water West but as mentioned the pipe diameter to even make a dent would be enormous.

Out



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/10/19 21:18 by callum_out.

I know a bunch of people that would share, ship, teletransport, or cede in any way some of this water. My buddy's store in Kearney, on Railroad Street, had 2 ft. of water in the basement, that came in through the front door and went through the floor to the basement! This year has not been kind at all to a wide swath of this state.