Storms, Floods Plague Nebraska, Montana Areas

Heavy rain on the already saturated Sandhills region caused street and basement flooding Sunday in the center of Nebraska.

“The town hasn’t had a flood like this in 50 years,” said Gary Heilbrun, assistant volunteer fire chief. “Some old-timers talk about running canoes down Main Street. But I’ve been here since 1978, and it’s never been like this.”

More than two inches of rain fell in about 30 minutes in Anselmo, a valley town of 200 people near Broken Bow, Neb., Heilbrun said. That storm, which hit around midnight Saturday, came on top of four inches Friday.

Irrigation pumps pulled water from Anselmo streets, and workers piled up sand and plastic to protect buildings.

About 12 firefighters and five volunteers worked overnight Saturday and into Sunday. “I’m beat,” said Heilbrun.

Pumping would likely continue into today, Heilbrun said. Flooding also occurred July 26, and the town pumped water from streets for three days, he said.

Elsewhere, thunderstorms dumped as much as seven inches of rain on northeastern Montana on Sunday.

Some roads around Wolf Point, Mont., were swamped, and two feet of water ran over a bridge on Tule Creek, officials reported.

Blown-down trees and high water blocked some roads in the area of Glasgow, Mont., early Sunday.