Projection Shows Omaha Flood Could Displace 7,000

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More than 7,100 people would be displaced and damage could run close to $700 million if the Omaha, Neb., area were to experience a flood of the Papillion Creek Watershed on par with one that soaked much of Ames, Iowa, last summer, according to a new study.

The projection released by the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District was created by meteorologists and based on rainfall data gathered during historic flooding in Ames in August. Over a three-day period, that college town got 8 to 9 1/2 inches of rain, which caused pipes to break and left 55,000 people without drinking water. One person died, hundreds of people were forced from their homes and the arena and 25 other Iowa State University buildings were flooded, causing $30 million to $40 million in damage.

Should a similar flood happen in Omaha, forcing the Big Papillion, Little Papillion and West Papillion creeks from their banks, 1,950 acres would be underwater, said John Winkler, general manager of the NRD, which serves much of Douglas, Sarpy and Washington counties. That would cause an estimated $500 million in damage to buildings and $190 million in damage to public infrastructure, he said.

“It’s sobering to see 7,100 residents of metro Omaha could be displaced,” Winkler said. “Unfortunately, the odds of such a storm occurring in the Omaha area are high.”

An animated graphic illustrating the flood’s impact along the Big Papillion Creek near Interstate 80 is available online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjbKA9hguSQ.

The last floods within the watershed were in 1964 and 1965, contributing to seven deaths.

Winkler said the NRD and other local agencies are working on flood-control measures, such as construction of reservoirs, improvements to levees and stormwater retention, but they take time to complete.

“There’s so much to do,” he said. “You just hope to get some of those completed before we have one of those floods.”