Feast or Famine
Rains in Keith Co. claim one life, damage much property
By Dick Reynolds
The North Platte Telegraph


A massive downpour in drought-ravaged Keith County has left at least one person dead.
More than 11 inches of rain fell causing streets in Ogallala to be flooded, while several roads and bridges around the area were washed out and some people evacuated.
Portions Interstate 80 at the 122.55 mile marker in both directions were washed out, leaving gaping holes.
The Nebraska State Patrol said truck driver William B. Baucam, 46, of Dallas, N.C., was killed when his semi-trailer full of potatoes was caught in the eastbound washout.
Robert Pacheco of Omaha saw the accident.
Pacheco was eastbound Saturday morning on I-80 approaching Ogallala. He stopped his car because of traffic on I-80, parked and got out of his vehicle along with other motorists to see what was going on. Rain was continuing to fall at the time.
"I decided to turn back toward Julesburg because I needed gas and I knew I could not go forward," he said. He drove about half a mile when he saw a plume of smoke and realized there was an accident at a bridge in the eastbound lane of I-80.
Pacheco said the back part of Baucam's trailer was on the remaining portion of the bridge. "The engine was across the bridge still running and smoking," he said. "The cab and one-third of the trailer was gone.
"The emergency guy who arrived a minute later told me, 'this is no place for you.'"
Pacheco heeded that advice. He turned back to join the other motorists and wait.
"We waited for more than an hour before being allowed to exit the interstate," he said.
Motorists had to exit into Ogallala and travel U.S. Highway 30 until they could reenter eastbound I-80 and proceed on their way from there.
Pacheco began thinking something was not right as he approached Ogallala.
"I became a little concerned when I passed some cattle in the fields knee-high in water along I-80," he said, "and I could see a traffic jam up ahead."
Longtime Ogallala resident Dick Roeser said the rain started about 1 a.m. and kept pouring.
"I have an official rain gauge, and it registered 11 inches early Saturday morning," he said.
"My home phone was hit by lightning, so I cannot contact my home," said Roeser as he visited North Platte Saturday. "All my electronics are gone. I have none of it."
The NSP closed I-80 at about 10 a.m.
Gov. Mike Johanns has declared a state of emergency, which will make state money available to help assess and repair damage to public facilities. Johanns plans to visit the area today.
The National Weather Service office in North Platte issued a flood warning for Lincoln County at 2:35 Saturday afternoon.
Meteorologist Dennis Philips said the water coming down the South Platte combined with what is in the North Platte will meet sometime late Monday night or Tuesday morning at the confluence and there will be lots of water.
People living in the Brady and Maxwell areas will need to be aware.
"For Brady, the models from Kansas City show a crest of 8.5 feet about 7 p.m. Tuesday evening, which means it should go above flood stage, which is 7.5 feet," he said. There was also a flood warning for Keith County that was specifically issued for the area around Roscoe.
Roscoe.