OMAHA, Neb.—Flooding along the South Platte River in western Nebraska has so far caused little damage, but residents prepared Thursday for the river to continue to rise as more Colorado floodwaters flow into the state.

The flooding began near the Colorado-Nebraska border on Wednesday and forced the closure of the Interstate 80 exit into Big Springs and a truck stop. But Big Springs itself stayed dry.

The National Weather Service predicts flooding will continue along the South Platte and later the Platte River over the next several days as the surge of water moves east.

"The river will stay high through the middle of next week in a lot of places," National Weather Service meteorologist Bill Taylor said.

Geography has helped limit flood damage in the first couple of days because much of the land at risk in the first 75 miles of Nebraska is rural and the towns along the South Platte don't sit directly on the river.

The Weather Service also warned residents about the ensuing flood several days before the water arrived, helping residents prepare.

"Everybody seems to be working really well together. The community really came together to protect their property," said Jodie Fawl, spokeswoman for the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency.

On Thursday morning, a breach developed in the riverbank west of Brule. Keith County Emergency Manager Pete Peterson said the road linking Brule to Interstate 80 had to be closed because water covered part of it.


The flooding didn't threaten the town itself, but it did surround the west side of the Farmers Cooperative Association grain elevator.

Tim Jimenez, who manages the facility, said he was able to keep the grain elevator open because the water didn't reach the facility's main office or a grain elevator on the east side, but the electricity had to be shut off as a precaution. Jimenez said workers built a sandbag wall around the office.

Officials said the South Platte was extremely full at Ogallala Thursday, but the floodwater spilling out of the banks there didn't reach a row of hotels on the interstate because a temporary levee held the water back.

The river near Roscoe had already risen from 1.6 feet deep to 10.1 feet deep by Thursday afternoon. The forecast calls for the river to continue rising there before cresting at a record 12.5 feet deep—3.5 feet above where flooding begins.

The river is expected to crest in North Platte at 13.9 feet on Saturday. Officials expect floodwaters to encroach on some homes in southwest North Platte and cover part of a golf course on the city's east side.

Officials are warning about flooding in communities farther east, such as Cozad, Kearney and Grand Island, but the river forecast is less clear there because the floodwaters won't reach those locations until early next week.