Heavy Rainfall and Severe Thunderstorm Threats; Heat Risk Expands; Monitoring the Tropics

Flash flooding risks continue for portions of the Four Corners and Great Basin through today. Severe thunderstorms are outlooked from the eastern Great Lakes, southern New England into the mid-Atlantic through Tuesday. Heat risk increases and expands across the center of the nation and across the Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic this week. Continue to closely monitor tropical development in the Gulf. Read More >

Significant rain fell across northeastern Colorado between September 9-16, 2013 (image to left shows totals). This rain fell over the headwaters of the South Platte River Basin near Boulder, Colorado. As a result, record flooding occurred in Colorado and western Nebraska along the South Platte and Platte river. Between September 21-28, 2013, minor flooding worked eastward into roughly the western half of the NWS Hastings coverage area, and even lingered into early October in a few places.

The following link from NWS Boulder, CO describes in more detail the event that
resulted in this record rainfall in Colorado:

September 2013 Floods

Below is more information about the basin that feeds into South Platte River, which meets up with the North Platte River just east of North Platte, Nebraska, then becoming the Platte River through the remainder of Nebraska.

Then follows information about each of the river gages along the Platte that affect South Central Nebraska, located near Cozad and Overton in Dawson County, Kearney in Buffalo County and Grand Island in Hall County. A hydrograph showing the rise and fall of each gage as the water passed is shown, as well as "before and after" photos.

South Platte River Basin

Platte River Gage @ Cozad


Minor flood stage is 6.5 ft. (orange line on hydrograph)


Before: near Cozad - 9/20/13: North Channel looking west	After: near Cozad - 9/24/13: North Channel looking west

Before: Near Cozad - 9/20/13: South Channel looking west	After: Near Cozad - 9/23/13: South Channel looking west


Before: Near Gothenburg - 9/20/13	After: Near Gothenburg -9/23/13 Photo courtesy of Julia Berg.

Platte River Gage @ Overton

Minor flood stage is 7.0 ft. (orange line on hydrograph)


Before: Near Overton - 9/22/13 Photo courtesy of Lisa Baker.	After: Near Overton - 9/24/13

Platte River Gage @ Kearney

Minor flood stage is 6.0 ft. (orange line on hydrograph)


Before: Near Kearney - 9/20/13	After: Near Kearney - 9/26/13

Platte River Gage @ Grand Island(Nebraska)

Minor flood stage is 6.5 ft. (orange line on hydrograph)


Before: Near Grand Island - 9/20/13	After: Near Alda - 9/30/13 Photo courtesy of Hall County Emergency Management.

For more information see the NWS Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service Homepage

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Heavy Rainfall and Severe Thunderstorm Threats; Heat Risk Expands; Monitoring the Tropics

Late September-Early October 2013 Platte River Flooding