Breaking News - Ice Jam
Breaking News Entry 2024
Ice Jam: Our Job Is To Protect Our Town
The Antelope County News was on scene of an ice jam on the Elkhorn River within an hour of it happening and stayed on scene with updates regularly to ensure safety of not only drivers, but also the nearby community, which would have been forced to evacuate had the the jam blocked off water much longer.
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By CARRIE PITZER
Publisher
It took 15 minutes to create havoc, and about 36 hours of teamwork to solve it.
As Tilden Rescue crossed the Elkhorn River bridge west of Oakdale on Sunday morning, Brian Wilcox and Walter Patras noticed ice in the river as they transported a patient to Neligh. It was 9:07 a.m. when they first called the Antelope County Sheriff’s Office.
Exactly 15 minutes later, the rescue unit crossed the bridge again heading back to Tilden. By then, an ice jam had formed. They radioed again with a more dire message.
“When we went over the bridge the first time, we saw ice floating and called in that there was going to be issues. On the way back, the ice had stopped and water was just starting to flow over to the north across the road ditch,” Wilcox said. “It was jammed and plugged already at that point.”
That first phone call was the beginning of a day-long domino effect of teamwork as multiple agencies partnered to preserve the bridge on Highway 275 between Oakdale and Neligh.
“Everybody worked well together and we’ve all cultivated each other’s relationships,” said Oakdale Fire Chief Matt Wilkinson, who spent nearly 10 hours at the bridge on Sunday. “The Neligh and Tilden fire departments reach out to us and vice versa. It’s nice to have those relationships and partnerships.”
The Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) spearheaded operations Sunday to ensure the bridge, which is on the major highway running through Antelope County, wasn’t damaged by the ice jam. By Tuesday morning, the jam had broken and the river was more than five feet lower with iceless water moving.
“The jam broke sometime overnight Monday, and this morning the flooding is down and water is moving,” said Gary Park, NDOT maintenance supervisor in Neligh. “Everything worked out well, and the partnership between everyone was very helpful.”
Early Communication
By the time Tilden Rescue confirmed at 9:22 a.m. that an ice jam had formed the bridge west of Oakdale, Gary Park of NDOT was already on his way to the bridge. Tilden Rescue’s first phone call to the Antelope County Sheriff’s Office had already set the emergency process in motion between the county and State of Nebraska.
“Aaron Boggs, who is the county road supervisor, called me at 9:15 a.m.,” Park recalled. “We’d been communicating the night before about a jam west of Neligh, so we knew the ice would be moving downstream. We’ve been through floods and things like this before, so we communicate.”
Before Park even arrived at the bridge, he was already on the phone lining up a backhoe to break up the ice, knowing they would need to relieve the pressure if the jam didn’t break right away, as well as stop the flooding that resulted from the jam.
“I knew we would need it; it was just a matter of when,” he said. “So we got things ready. We didn’t want to waste time.”
Wilkinson was also called to the bridge as Oakdale’s fire chief. But he didn’t issue a page to his fellow firefighters requesting assistance. They showed up on their own to help.
“That’s pretty normal of my guys and probably all of our local departments,” Wilkinson said. “I had six guys on scene without being called. They were there to help if needed.”
Downstream, the Tilden Fire Department was also monitoring their bridges. Wilcox said landowners were calling asking about potential flooding, so there were concerns. Again, there wasn’t a page at Tilden either. Wilcox said volunteers simply helped monitor because they wanted to help their community and county.
Wilkinson said while the NDOT monitored the Elkhorn River bridge, started flagging the highway for one-lane traffic and organized help, his firefighters stayed off to the side ready to help wherever and however they were needed.
With about nine out of every 10 vehicles going by featuring someone with a phone in their hand recording the bridge, those on scene said a lot of situations could have occurred due to distracted drivers.
“At that point, we didn’t know what was going to happen, so we were there in case something did,” Wilkinson said. “There were 50 different scenarios going through my mind from accidents as people drove by looking at the bridge and not aware of the flagger. If you have the ability to be on scene of an accident basically as it happens, you want to be there.”
Partnerships
Park said as the NDOT was monitoring the Elkhorn River bridge, he was communicating often with Antelope County Sheriff Bob Moore. The sheriff reached out to the Neligh Fire Department, requesting use of their drone to view the ice jam.
Neligh Fire Captain Jason Krebs brought the department’s drone on site and determined the jam causing the issue was 2,300 feet to the east of the bridge. With ice backed up 1,500 feet on the west side, the jam had created a blockage of about two-thirds of a mile long.
“Having that drone footage was amazing,” Park said. “To stand there and see the ice jam but not having a clue how far it was or what it looked like was difficult. Once we could see the visual and the 90-degree turn of the river creating the issue, it explained what we were facing and how much ice we needed to get rid of.”
Krebs said the department has used the drone many times since purchasing it two years ago. With thermal imaging, it has helped the department find hot spots in a fire, including a standing cornfield fire that jumped to another area that wasn’t visible to the firefighters. It’s also been used for missing person searches. The drone has a speaker allowing the pilot to communicate with someone, telling them help is on its way. The drone, however, does not pick up sound.
Krebs said the drone “is another tool in our toolbox,” and the department is willing to assist other entities with the technology.
“We have good partnership with other departments, and we’re happy to help when they request it,” Krebs said. “We keep the drone ready to go, so if we need it, we can easily access it. This is a rural area, and we all help one another as much as we can.”
Besides from the bridge itself, Krebs, Wilkinson and Bob Swett moved closer to the ice jam site and flew that area with the drone for a better look at what the NDOT was facing. About that time, a levy just east of the bridge broke, creating more lowland flooding on private property and pushing ice chunks into the area.
Wilkinson said he appreciated having Krebs on hand because the drone had thermal imaging. Had someone fallen into the river, that technology would have been beneficial in saving a life..
“God forbid, if someone would have fallen into the river, we could have tracked them. There were so many different scenarios with the ice jam,” Wilkinson said. “We’re fortunate that everyone gets along. It’s great that departments have different tools and can help one another.”
Ice Jam Breaks
Matt Klabenes Construction arrived on scene early Sunday afternoon to break up the ice on the west side of the bridge. By that time, flooding had reached the centerline of Highway 275, and the NDOT was flagging one-way traffic. The highway remained one lane until dark.
“My crew was great all weekend,” Park said. “They responded quickly on a Sunday, and I appreciate everything they did to help with the situation.”
As Klabenes broke the icebergs, water began flowing better. Park said by 3 p.m., things were improving on the west side. But within another 15 minutes it was clogged again. They worked until dark on the bridge.
On Monday morning, the flooding was still at the edge of the highway, so Park had the backhoe return to the bridge to break up ice.
“There was a lot of fog Monday morning, so we had to wait until that lifted for everyone’s safety,” he said. “Once it did, we went back to work breaking up the ice. Overnight Monday, the jam did break, and the river is flowing now.”
Not the first time
If it appeared the NDOT knew what to do with the Elkhorn River ice jam, Park said that’s because they did. Sunday wasn’t the first ice jam at that bridge, nor was it the first time the Elkhorn has flooded the area.
In 2011, historic summer flooding forced NDOT to save the bridge approach with massive efforts. Then in 2019, the Bomb Cycle struck the bridge with icebergs the size of vehicles, putting even more pressure on the bridge.
“This ice jam was nothing like either of the events,” Park said. “The 2011 flood was the worst one, and even 2019 was much worse than this one. But what both situations did was give us experience. We know how it’s usually going to flood and where the water is going.”
The emergency situations — from flooding to fires — also continue to reiterate the need for the different local agencies to work together and maintain solid relationships and partnerships.
“When we left on Sunday night, we all commented on how the Oakdale Fire Department was there all day,” Park said. “Those guys were there for hours if we needed them and willing to help in any way. That’s something we really appreciated.”
Wilkinson said the volunteers were happy to give their time. After all, that’s why they are on the department.
“There wasn’t a lot we could do at the time, but we were there if needed,” Wilkinson said. “That flood water was moving, and it could have taken out the fertilizer plant and then the town of Oakdale. Luckily, everything worked out, but our job is to protect our town. That’s why we were there.”
Publisher
It took 15 minutes to create havoc, and about 36 hours of teamwork to solve it.
As Tilden Rescue crossed the Elkhorn River bridge west of Oakdale on Sunday morning, Brian Wilcox and Walter Patras noticed ice in the river as they transported a patient to Neligh. It was 9:07 a.m. when they first called the Antelope County Sheriff’s Office.
Exactly 15 minutes later, the rescue unit crossed the bridge again heading back to Tilden. By then, an ice jam had formed. They radioed again with a more dire message.
“When we went over the bridge the first time, we saw ice floating and called in that there was going to be issues. On the way back, the ice had stopped and water was just starting to flow over to the north across the road ditch,” Wilcox said. “It was jammed and plugged already at that point.”
That first phone call was the beginning of a day-long domino effect of teamwork as multiple agencies partnered to preserve the bridge on Highway 275 between Oakdale and Neligh.
“Everybody worked well together and we’ve all cultivated each other’s relationships,” said Oakdale Fire Chief Matt Wilkinson, who spent nearly 10 hours at the bridge on Sunday. “The Neligh and Tilden fire departments reach out to us and vice versa. It’s nice to have those relationships and partnerships.”
The Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) spearheaded operations Sunday to ensure the bridge, which is on the major highway running through Antelope County, wasn’t damaged by the ice jam. By Tuesday morning, the jam had broken and the river was more than five feet lower with iceless water moving.
“The jam broke sometime overnight Monday, and this morning the flooding is down and water is moving,” said Gary Park, NDOT maintenance supervisor in Neligh. “Everything worked out well, and the partnership between everyone was very helpful.”
Early Communication
By the time Tilden Rescue confirmed at 9:22 a.m. that an ice jam had formed the bridge west of Oakdale, Gary Park of NDOT was already on his way to the bridge. Tilden Rescue’s first phone call to the Antelope County Sheriff’s Office had already set the emergency process in motion between the county and State of Nebraska.
“Aaron Boggs, who is the county road supervisor, called me at 9:15 a.m.,” Park recalled. “We’d been communicating the night before about a jam west of Neligh, so we knew the ice would be moving downstream. We’ve been through floods and things like this before, so we communicate.”
Before Park even arrived at the bridge, he was already on the phone lining up a backhoe to break up the ice, knowing they would need to relieve the pressure if the jam didn’t break right away, as well as stop the flooding that resulted from the jam.
“I knew we would need it; it was just a matter of when,” he said. “So we got things ready. We didn’t want to waste time.”
Wilkinson was also called to the bridge as Oakdale’s fire chief. But he didn’t issue a page to his fellow firefighters requesting assistance. They showed up on their own to help.
“That’s pretty normal of my guys and probably all of our local departments,” Wilkinson said. “I had six guys on scene without being called. They were there to help if needed.”
Downstream, the Tilden Fire Department was also monitoring their bridges. Wilcox said landowners were calling asking about potential flooding, so there were concerns. Again, there wasn’t a page at Tilden either. Wilcox said volunteers simply helped monitor because they wanted to help their community and county.
Wilkinson said while the NDOT monitored the Elkhorn River bridge, started flagging the highway for one-lane traffic and organized help, his firefighters stayed off to the side ready to help wherever and however they were needed.
With about nine out of every 10 vehicles going by featuring someone with a phone in their hand recording the bridge, those on scene said a lot of situations could have occurred due to distracted drivers.
“At that point, we didn’t know what was going to happen, so we were there in case something did,” Wilkinson said. “There were 50 different scenarios going through my mind from accidents as people drove by looking at the bridge and not aware of the flagger. If you have the ability to be on scene of an accident basically as it happens, you want to be there.”
Partnerships
Park said as the NDOT was monitoring the Elkhorn River bridge, he was communicating often with Antelope County Sheriff Bob Moore. The sheriff reached out to the Neligh Fire Department, requesting use of their drone to view the ice jam.
Neligh Fire Captain Jason Krebs brought the department’s drone on site and determined the jam causing the issue was 2,300 feet to the east of the bridge. With ice backed up 1,500 feet on the west side, the jam had created a blockage of about two-thirds of a mile long.
“Having that drone footage was amazing,” Park said. “To stand there and see the ice jam but not having a clue how far it was or what it looked like was difficult. Once we could see the visual and the 90-degree turn of the river creating the issue, it explained what we were facing and how much ice we needed to get rid of.”
Krebs said the department has used the drone many times since purchasing it two years ago. With thermal imaging, it has helped the department find hot spots in a fire, including a standing cornfield fire that jumped to another area that wasn’t visible to the firefighters. It’s also been used for missing person searches. The drone has a speaker allowing the pilot to communicate with someone, telling them help is on its way. The drone, however, does not pick up sound.
Krebs said the drone “is another tool in our toolbox,” and the department is willing to assist other entities with the technology.
“We have good partnership with other departments, and we’re happy to help when they request it,” Krebs said. “We keep the drone ready to go, so if we need it, we can easily access it. This is a rural area, and we all help one another as much as we can.”
Besides from the bridge itself, Krebs, Wilkinson and Bob Swett moved closer to the ice jam site and flew that area with the drone for a better look at what the NDOT was facing. About that time, a levy just east of the bridge broke, creating more lowland flooding on private property and pushing ice chunks into the area.
Wilkinson said he appreciated having Krebs on hand because the drone had thermal imaging. Had someone fallen into the river, that technology would have been beneficial in saving a life..
“God forbid, if someone would have fallen into the river, we could have tracked them. There were so many different scenarios with the ice jam,” Wilkinson said. “We’re fortunate that everyone gets along. It’s great that departments have different tools and can help one another.”
Ice Jam Breaks
Matt Klabenes Construction arrived on scene early Sunday afternoon to break up the ice on the west side of the bridge. By that time, flooding had reached the centerline of Highway 275, and the NDOT was flagging one-way traffic. The highway remained one lane until dark.
“My crew was great all weekend,” Park said. “They responded quickly on a Sunday, and I appreciate everything they did to help with the situation.”
As Klabenes broke the icebergs, water began flowing better. Park said by 3 p.m., things were improving on the west side. But within another 15 minutes it was clogged again. They worked until dark on the bridge.
On Monday morning, the flooding was still at the edge of the highway, so Park had the backhoe return to the bridge to break up ice.
“There was a lot of fog Monday morning, so we had to wait until that lifted for everyone’s safety,” he said. “Once it did, we went back to work breaking up the ice. Overnight Monday, the jam did break, and the river is flowing now.”
Not the first time
If it appeared the NDOT knew what to do with the Elkhorn River ice jam, Park said that’s because they did. Sunday wasn’t the first ice jam at that bridge, nor was it the first time the Elkhorn has flooded the area.
In 2011, historic summer flooding forced NDOT to save the bridge approach with massive efforts. Then in 2019, the Bomb Cycle struck the bridge with icebergs the size of vehicles, putting even more pressure on the bridge.
“This ice jam was nothing like either of the events,” Park said. “The 2011 flood was the worst one, and even 2019 was much worse than this one. But what both situations did was give us experience. We know how it’s usually going to flood and where the water is going.”
The emergency situations — from flooding to fires — also continue to reiterate the need for the different local agencies to work together and maintain solid relationships and partnerships.
“When we left on Sunday night, we all commented on how the Oakdale Fire Department was there all day,” Park said. “Those guys were there for hours if we needed them and willing to help in any way. That’s something we really appreciated.”
Wilkinson said the volunteers were happy to give their time. After all, that’s why they are on the department.
“There wasn’t a lot we could do at the time, but we were there if needed,” Wilkinson said. “That flood water was moving, and it could have taken out the fertilizer plant and then the town of Oakdale. Luckily, everything worked out, but our job is to protect our town. That’s why we were there.”
