Several streets north of TD Ameritrade Park are flooded after heavy rains fell early Saturday morning.
Water gushed, storm drains overflowed and water flooded some businesses in the area.
At least a foot of water surrounded Hot Shops Art Center at 13th and Nicholas Streets, said the building's managing partner Tim Barry.
He said there was also about a foot of water in the building's boiler room. Pumps were installed to dry out the bottom floor, Barry said.
“We hope and pray we don't get a three inch rain in the next couple days,” he said.
Hot Shops Art Center is closed on weekends and open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Barry was unsure if the shop would be open Monday.
Scroll down to check out videos of the flooded streets and heavy water that flowed through parts of downtown Omaha.
Aida Amoura, a spokeswoman for Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle, said crews are pumping out the backed-up storm water and the area around North 12th and Izard Streets should be cleared later Saturday.
Several spots in the Omaha Metro area reported more than two inches of rainfall from about 3 to 7 a.m. Saturday, according to the National Weather Service in Valley.
Millard had 2.83 inches of rain and 2.08 inches fell in Papillion. Eppley Airfield reported .76 inches of rainfall.
Council Bluffs received about 2.5 inches of rain last night, said spokesman Don Gross.
The storm caused one pump station to lose electricity and four others to have malfunctions, but those issues were resolved Saturday morning, he said.
Gross said some areas of the city, like the Twin City neighborhood, had standing water that was receeding as of 11:30 a.m. Saturday.
Because of the heavy rains, Fremont County, Iowa, officials has heightened concerns about flooding along the Nishnabotna River. The river flows past the east side of Hamburg.
"Any rain that happens north of us comes down the Missouri or the Nishnabotna, and that will all impact us down here," said Mike Crecelius, the county's emergency management director. "It's just a matter of waiting and seeing what it actually does when it gets here."
Several flood warnings were issued after 4 a.m. Saturday as the line of thunderstorms unloaded.
The weather service said a thunderstorm complex moved across southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa early Saturday morning, and a narrow band of heavier fell in the Omaha Metro area.
Parts of Douglas, Sarpy and Saunders counties in Nebraska and Pottawattamie, Montgomery and Mills counties in Iowa were under a flash flood warning during the storm.
A flash flood warning was in effect for Adams and Union counties in Iowa until noon Saturday.
Amoura said the pooling water in downtown Omaha was not unexpected and the city and businesses in the area have been prepared for such an event.
Water flowed from Lot D north of the Qwest Center into at least one lane of 10th Street.
Also officials blocked traffic on Izard Street from about 10th to 16th Streets, including routes off of Cuming and Nicholas Streets due to flooding.
Some low-lying streets throughout Omaha were flooded, but the waters have since receeded.
-- This report compliled by World-Herald staff writers Sam Womack, Emily Nohr and Kirby Kaufman.
View video of the overflowing storm waters near 13th and Nicholas Streets.
Check out footage of storm water flowing out of Lot D near the Qwest Center onto North 10th Street.
No comments