Heavy to excessive rainfall may lead to flooding today over southwest Pennsylvania into northern West Virginia, and western Maryland. Severe thunderstorms are possible this afternoon and evening in the Mid-South and across Eastern North Carolina. An extended period of hot weather is forecast for parts of coastal southern California including Los Angeles from today through Thursday. Read More >
During the day on Sunday, February 27, 2011 Emergency Managers and Law Enforcement from Platte, Polk, and Merrick Counties reported that an ice jam had developed on the Platte River. The location of the ice jam was near the Highway 92 bridge south of Clarks. The ice jam has caused river levels to rise, threatening nearby homes, cabins and roads. On Sunday evening, a dirt dike was built to help protect homes on the south side of the river. The flooding has continued on into Monday, February 28th, and a mile and a half of Prairie Island Road, which is west of Highway 92 and just south of the Platte River in Merrick County, was closed due to rising water levels. As of Monday afternoon the ice jam is approximately 3 miles long, and according to area residents, had grown further west since Sunday evening.
On March 1st, Polk County Emergency Management reported that the river was up, and the ice jam remained unchanged.
Photos below show the extent of the ice jam and flooding, courtesy of Bob Carey, Emergency Manager of Polk County.
Additional photos of the ice jam (shown below) were taken by John, Linda and Angela Oder on February 28th and March 1st.