The unrestrained flooding which followed destroyed 3 bridges downstream, including the Highway 281 bridge..

On March 14, 2019, the Spencer Dam on the Niobrara River collapsed, releasing an eleven-foot wall of water. Record-high river levels were reported in at least 38 locations in the Midwest, particularly in Nebraska and Iowa, said Jonathan Erdman, a senior meteorologist with weather.com. A deluge of water and ice washed out Spencer Dam on the Niobrara River in Boyd County March 14.

In east central Nebraska, residents along the flooded Missouri, Platte and Elkhorn Rivers were forced to evacuate as some locals experienced all-time record flooding. Highway 281 is seen damaged after a storm triggered historic flooding on March 16 in Niobrara, Neb. Photo by Eric Fowler .

By Eric Fowler. Local The 10 biggest stories in Lincoln and across Nebraska from 2019 The Niobrara-area flooding brutalized the business she and her husband started six years ago. Heavy flooding … For many Nebraskans, 2019 was a tough year. (Office of Governor Pete Ricketts/Reuters) …