Rail cars derail: Three rail cars carrying coal derailed at the Omaha Public Power District's coal plant in north Omaha, spokesman Jeff Hanson said Wednesday. The derailment occurred at 10:40 a.m. Tuesday when rails gave way because the ground was saturated by flooding, he said. Hanson said the derailment will not jeopardize operation of the coal plant. "We have sufficient coal on hand." Hanson said OPPD contractors are repairing the rails with the goal of completing the work by this weekend. While the rail cars are owned by OPPD, the train was driven by Union Pacific locomotives. Each car contained about 118 tons of coal. Typically, a train arrives at the plant every other day, Hanson said.
Upstream releases: Authorities say it will be late September or early October before the Missouri River returns to its banks. Upstream water releases at Gavins Point Dam near Yankton, S.D., are scheduled to be cut starting Saturday, then again Monday. Paul Johnston of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ district office in Omaha said it will take time for floodwaters to recede. The corps has said it must reduce the dam’s releases slowly because a quick drop in water level raise the risk of downstream levee breaks.
Casino to reopen: Though 2½ feet of water still stands in the streets around WinnaVegas Casino in Sloan, Iowa, the business will reopen Thursday. Casino operators will have amphibious "duck boats" available to transport gamblers safely across Missouri River flooding. The boats hold up to 25 people and can run on land as well as in the water. Starting Thursday, the casino will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. The casino will be back to 24-hour operations as soon as possible. Woodbury County closed the road leading to the casino last month because of the flooding. That forced the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska to close the casino.
Roads money: The federal government is making $2 million in emergency funds available to Iowa to reimburse the state for road work during the Missouri River flooding. The money will be used to reimburse the Iowa Department of Transportation for the cost of controlling traffic flow, shoring up roads and bridges, and other measures, including sandbagging, to prevent more damage. The flooding will continue for weeks, and sections of several major highways remain closed. State officials say the longer it takes for the water to recede, the greater the repair costs.
Flood protection: A construction project at the Council Bluffs Wastewater Treatment Plant broke ground Wednesday. Mark Hughes Construction began work on a 45-by-100-foot sand blanket along the Missouri River levee west of the plant. The company also will build a 4,000-foot berm around the plant. Construction is expected to take about two weeks to complete. Five companies bid on the project, and the Hughes firm submitted the low bid of $382,142.
RadiationNetwork.com
Missouri River Dams and River Levels Flood Map
US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS RELEASES NEW FORECAST SCHEDULE OF RELEASE - 6 MAINSTEM MISSOURI BASIN DAMS
Updated Daily
NOAA Hydrologic - Water Level at Gavins Point Dam, near Ft. Calhoun and Cooper Nuclear Plants
http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/river.php?wfo=abr&wfoid=18696&riverid=203276&view=1%2C1%2C1%2C1%2C1%2C1%2C1%2C1&toggles=10%2C7%2C8%2C2%2C9%2C15%2C6&pt[]=145640&pt[]=142853&pt[]=144098&pt[]=144183&pt[]=142396&pt[]=143355&allpoints=143990%2C145585%2C145025%2C145026%2C144876%2C145027%2C143234%2C143184%2C145519%2C145640%2C144217%2C142150%2C142780%2C142853%2C145202%2C141586%2C144582%2C143543%2C144796%2C144098%2C144240%2C141320%2C141614%2C142968%2C144183%2C142574%2C143478%2C142193%2C142760%2C142003%2C142610%2C142396%2C144496%2C147345%2C141899%2C143355%2C142050%2C141570%2C144165%2C143476%2C141703%2C142023%2C144123%2C141863%2C143539%2C143436%2C141917%2C143009%2C142688%2C142640%2C143925%2C143734%2C142729%2C143790%2C142668%2C141962%2C142132&data[]=hydrograph&submit=Make+my+River+Page!
GARRISON DAM - NORTH DAKOTA
FT RANDALL DAM - NEAR CHAMBERLAIN SD
GAVINS POINT DAM - NEAR YANKTON SD
RESERVOIR CONTROL CENTER REPORTS
Link to daily report:
The Cave's Archive: NW DIVISION OF THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS RESERVOIR CONTROL CENTER DAILY REPORT
Link: THE CAVE'S OVERFLOW - Archive of the Cave's Daily Flood of 2011 Updates
