The next, the Spencer Dam broke and a wall of water and ice decimated his 2,000-acre property along the Niobrara River. And the five-generation family of cattle ranchers had nothing.
“It’s just an utter disaster,’’ said Ruzicka, who lives there with his parents, Willard and Denise. “I would call it hell.’’
Eric Alberts lost about 700 head of hogs on his 10-acre plot of land 4 miles west of Arlington, Nebraska. He and his father, Doug, raced to save 100 piglets before floodwaters from the Elkhorn River rose to their waists and they had to leave the sows behind.
Veterinarian Audry Wieman had to tell farmers and ranchers no when they called in for emergency help because she was stranded on her farm near Lynch, Nebraska. She and her husband, Jeremy Mahon, are now supplying neighbors with water from their still-working well.
“It’s a story being repeated across the area,’’ she said. “Everyone has heard of losses.”
Steve Nelson, president of the Nebraska Farm Bureau, said the need is everywhere after the historic flooding.
He estimated that there will be $400 million to $500 million in livestock losses and about $400 million in crop losses because spring planting will be delayed or canceled.
“That gets us close to a billion dollars,’’ he said. “I would not be surprised to see the lost agriculture numbers go over a billion dollars from this storm.’’
Agriculture is 20 percent of the state’s GDP and accounts for one of every four jobs.
Nelson said the flooding is costing the Nebraska cattle industry $1 million a day because of additional transportation costs, along with fuel, logistics and feed costs. Those additional costs are not usually covered by insurance.
The state has 2.75 million cattle in feedlots, tied for first in the nation with Texas.
But it’s not just the beef industry. Some milk processors have to go 150 miles out of their way to get to their milk supply, and it’s a struggle to get grain to ethanol producers in the affected areas. Meat processors need workers, along with things like uniforms and boxes.
“It’s definitely a bottleneck in the system when you stop the transportation at any point,’’ said Steve Wellman, the director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture.
The department is trying to assist with hay, feed, fencing materials, volunteer help and equipment.
Farmers and ranchers are asked to call 800-831-0550 and share their name, contact information, type and number of livestock, location (including county) and assistance needed. A list of disaster relief resources for Nebraska farmers and ranchers is also available online at https://buff.ly/2FbqDfU.
Farmers and ranchers can also contact the Nebraska Farm Bureau at nefb.org/disaster. They can find help on that exchange with feed, volunteers and housing for their animals.
“It’s open to any need that they have,’’ Nelson said.
Photos: March 2019 flooding hits hard in Nebraska's farm country
No one knows for sure how much lifestock has been lost in the flooding and blizzard of last week. But it could cost in the billions when the losses from livestock and crop losses are totaled.
Sheets of ice killed 12 bulls at the Ruzicka ranch.
COURTESY OF LANCE KNIGGE
Ice buried the Ruzickas' breeding bulls.
COURTESY OF LANCE KNIGGE
Taking corn to feed the surviving pigs at Eric Alberts' property.
COURTESY OF ERIC ALBERTS
Eric Alberts' land had only been accessible by boat until Monday.
COURTESY OF ERIC ALBERTS
Eric Alberts saved many animals in the flood but had to leave others behind.
COURTESY OF ERIC ALBERTS
Some pigs were able to swim out and survived.
COURTESY OF ERIC ALBERTS
The floodwaters are starting to recede.
COURTESY OF ERIC ALBERTS
About 50 cattle survived by getting to higher ground.
COURTESY OF ERIC ALBERTS
Eric Alberts could have up to $600,000 worth of damage.
COURTESY OF ERIC ALBERTS
An ice-filled farm near Lynch, Nebraska.
COURTESY OF AUDRY WIERMAN
Ice chunks left by the flood at a house in Verdel, Nebraska.
COURTESY OF AUDRY WIERMAN
Ice chunks stacked up next to a pickup in Verdel, Nebraska.
COURTESY OF AUDRY WIERMAN
* * *
The Ruzicka family had only a few hours’ notice before the water hit after the Spencer Dam broke. Neighbors raced to help get cattle to higher ground.
Neighbor Lorie Knigge was hauling away a camper when she saw the water rising in her rearview mirror.
“I will probably have nightmares until I’m 80,’’ she said.
The kitchen of the Ruzicka farmhouse, which was built in 1906 about 10 miles west and north of Verdigre, was filled with chunks of ice. Muddy water reached up the second-story stairs.
Most of the buildings on the homestead are gone. Family and friends are digging for tools and belongings in the mud after ice cakes as tall as 20 feet bulldozed through their land.
The cattle that Ruzicka had been getting up every few hours to check since calving season started in January are scattered. Ruzicka is almost 40 years old and not married and said he considered the cattle his children.
“Now they are dying. I can’t do anything about them,’’ Ruzicka said. “Everything I’ve ever done is gone.’’
The family is unsure of how many of the 350 Charolais and Angus cattle and calves have survived. Twelve breeding bulls were crushed by ice. Neighbors are helping to care for others.
He said his parents and Aunt Alvira, who also lived on the property, look like they’ve aged 20 years since last week.
“This has totally ruined me,’’ said his father, Willard. “I have nothing.’’
People watch from the Huron Street bridge as water from Willow Creek flows just under a bridge in Missouri Valley, Iowa, on Wednesday, March 13, 2019.
Standing water from melting snow and rain reflects the evening sky as a truck travels north on Highway 275 near Fremont, Nebraska, on Wednesday, March 13, 2019.
Crews from Ashland, Mead and Yutan Fire and Rescue assist with evacuations in Ashland. Sixteen temporary shelters in Nebraska opened to take in such evacuees.
Nebraska State Patrol Trooper Keith Bell surveys the water levels as floodwaters continue to rise near Salt Creek in Ashland, Nebraska, on March 14, 2019.
Sean Hanger, of Ashland, and his son Aiden navigate the floodwaters that continue to rise near Jack Anderson Ball Park in Ashland, Nebraska, on March 14, 2019.
Both Iowa and Nebraska were hit hard by flooding earlier this year and are in need of the disaster aid. Bell Creek, on the east side of Arlington, Nebraska, flooded parts of the town in March 2019.
Blake Japp pulls his remote-controlled truck out of the water while playing in the shallow floodwaters of Bell Creek on Thursday, March 14, 2019, in Arlington, Nebraska.
Brent Schwindt of Norfolk, Nebraska, holds his son Paul, 4 months, as his wife, Lacey Hansen, sleeps on a blow up mattress at Lutheran High Northeast on Thursday, March 14, 2019, in Norfolk. The school was being used as an evacuation shelter for people affected by flooding in the area.
Motorists are forced to turn around as West Maple Road west of 216th Street is closed as floodwaters rise over the road near the Elkhorn River in Elkhorn, Nebraska, Friday, March 15, 2019.
A crowd of people gather to overlook the floodwaters that continue to rise along the Missouri River in Plattsmouth, Nebraska, on Friday, March 15, 2019.
Adam Jensen races to load his Lincoln Navigator outside his home near Mayne and Condron Streets in Valley, Nebraska. With three kids and a dog they plan to head to a hotel in Iowa. Valley residents were ordered to evacuate because of flooding on Friday, March 15, 2019.
Paul Schmidt walks with his children Calvin and Avery while looking back at floodwaters over Broad Street in Fremont Nebraska on Friday, March 15, 2019.
At sunrise, Norfolk City Engineer Steven Rames inspects the levy next to Northeast Community College on Friday, March 15, 2019, in Norfolk, Nebraska. Rames said that the levy was stable and that the water had dropped 8 to 9 feet.
Volunteers race to stave off floodwater by sandbagging along Old U.S. Highway 275 between Morningside Road and Downing Street in Fremont, Nebraska, on Saturday, March 16, 2019.
Anthony Thomson, left, and Melody Walton make their way out of the flooded blocks near 1st and M Streets after a visit to Melody's house where they loaded up supplies in Fremont, Nebraska on Saturday, March 16, 2019.
A crowd gathers to watch residents make their way in and out of the flooded blocks near 1st and M Streets in Fremont, Nebraska on Saturday, March 16, 2019.
Bonnie Warner, Barb Pierce, Katie Cameron and Amanda Pierce cheer for a convoy of Hy-Vee trucks escorted by the Nebraska State Patrol and the Army National on Sunday, March 17, 2019. The trucks delivered much needed supplies to the city that was surrounded by floodwaters.
Hy-Vee staff rush to offload a convoy of trucks that were escorted by the Nebraska State Patrol and the Army National Guard Sunday, March 17, 2019 in Fremont, Neb. The trucks delivered much needed supplies to the city that was surrounded by floodwaters.
People gather in downtown Hamburg, Iowa to watch the floodwaters creep closer to a barrier built on Sunday, March 17, 2019. The levee protecting the town from the floodwaters of the Missouri River broke, flooding the town.
Paul and Margaret Vorthmann's flood damaged home in shown in Missouri Valley, Iowa on Monday March 19, 2019. The family began the process to salvage items from the home and clean.
Amelia Fritz, left, hugs her daughter Heather Rockwell in Glenwood, Iowa on Monday, March 18, 2019. They were evacuated from Pacific Junction, Iowa after floodwaters hit the town. They are part of 15 relatives all staying in the same house or in a camper in the front driveway.
Residents such as Andrew Bauer and Shawn Shonerd of the Bellwood Lakes neighborhood are among some who can only access their home by boat on Monday March 18, 2019.
Shawn Shonerd, left, and his partner Andrew Bauer, who live in Bellwood Lakes are surrounded by large chunks of ice Monday March 18, 2019 after the historic flooding along the Platte River days prior in Bellwood, Nebraska.
Two vehicles on the property of Duane Graybill are in disarray in Bellwood, Nebraska, Monday, March 18 after flooding hit the Bellwood Lakes neighborhood.
Kelcie Keeling holds a Nebraska necklace. Keeling has led the effort of donations that are available for those in need at the Butler County Event Center in David City, Nebraska, Monday, March 18, 2019.
A Canada goose flies over Matthew J. Placzek's "Monument to Labor" sculpture as floodwaters from the Missouri River begin to recede on the Omaha riverfront on Tuesday, March 19, 2019.
Donated bottled water is donated at the North Bend Central Junior/Senior High School Tuesday, March 19, 2019 as residents deal with the aftermath of major flooding which occurred days earlier in North Bend, Nebraska.
Treyton Gubser, left, and his uncle Daniel Gubser paddle using shovels through the floodwaters after they rescued Daniel's kid's cat, Bob in Hamburg, Iowa on Wednesday, March 20, 2019.
Lori Steinauer walks through a patio area of her flooded cabin located in the Willow Point neighborhood in Ashland, Nebraska, Thursday, March 21, 2019.
Photos: Major flooding hit Nebraska and Iowa towns in March 2019
People watch from the Huron Street bridge as water from Willow Creek flows just under a bridge in Missouri Valley, Iowa, on Wednesday, March 13, 2019.
CHRIS MACHIAN, THE WORLD-HERALD
The junction of Highway 275 and Highway 91 is flooded on Wednesday, March 13, 2019, just north of Scribner, Nebraska.
RYAN SODERLIN, THE WORLD-HERALD
Cody Stump walks through a flooded street in Hooper, Nebraska, on Wednesday, March 13, 2019.
RYAN SODERLIN, THE WORLD-HERALD
High water rolls through a street in Hooper, Nebraska, on Wednesday, March 13, 2019.
RYAN SODERLIN, THE WORLD-HERALD
High water floods a street in Hooper, Nebraska, near a trailer park on March 13, 2019.
RYAN SODERLIN, THE WORLD-HERALD
High water floods a street in Hooper, Nebraska, near an old bank building on Wednesday, March 13, 2019.
RYAN SODERLIN, THE WORLD-HERALD
Standing water from melting snow and rain reflects the evening sky as a truck travels north on Highway 275 near Fremont, Nebraska, on Wednesday, March 13, 2019.
RYAN SODERLIN, THE WORLD-HERALD
Crews from the Ashland, Mead and Yutan Fire and Rescue assist with evacuating the final residents in Ashland, Nebraska, on Thursday, March 14, 2019.
BRENDAN SULLIVAN, THE WORLD-HERAL
Crews from Ashland, Mead and Yutan Fire and Rescue assist with evacuations in Ashland. Sixteen temporary shelters in Nebraska opened to take in such evacuees.
BRENDAN SULLIVAN, THE WORLD-HERALD
Nebraska State Patrol Trooper Keith Bell surveys the water levels as floodwaters continue to rise near Salt Creek in Ashland, Nebraska, on March 14, 2019.
BRENDAN SULLIVAN, THE WORLD-HERALD
Sean Hanger, of Ashland, and his son Aiden navigate the floodwaters that continue to rise near Jack Anderson Ball Park in Ashland, Nebraska, on March 14, 2019.
BRENDAN SULLIVAN, THE WORLD-HERAL
Floodwaters continue to rise near Furnas and North 15th Streets in Ashland, Nebraska, on March 14, 2019.
BRENDAN SULLIVAN, THE WORLD-HERALD
Residents are rescued from a flooded area near Missouri Valley, Iowa, on March 14, 2019.
JOE DEJKA, THE WORLD-HERALD
Jenna Muntz stands behind a row of sandbags as she takes a photo of the rising floodwaters in Cedar Creek, Nebraska, on Thursday, March 14, 2019.
CHRIS MACHIAN, THE WORLD-HERALD
A semitrailer truck that tried crossing Bell Creek in Arlington, Nebraska, was swept off the road by fast moving floodwaters.
RYAN SODERLIN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Both Iowa and Nebraska were hit hard by flooding earlier this year and are in need of the disaster aid. Bell Creek, on the east side of Arlington, Nebraska, flooded parts of the town in March 2019.
RYAN SODERLIN, THE WORLD-HERALD
Blake Japp pulls his remote-controlled truck out of the water while playing in the shallow floodwaters of Bell Creek on Thursday, March 14, 2019, in Arlington, Nebraska.
RYAN SODERLIN, THE WORLD-HERALD
Bell Creek, on the east side of Arlington, Nebraska, flooded parts of the town in March 2019.
RYAN SODERLIN, THE WORLD-HERALD
People navigate over giant chunks of ice that were thrown by floodwaters near River Resort in Yutan, Nebraska, on March 14, 2019.
JEFF BUNDY, THE WORLD-HERALD
A flooded home near Mosquito Creek in Council Bluffs on Thursday, March 14, 2019.
KENT SIEVERS, THE WORLD-HERALD
Two corn cobs float in floodwaters near Mosquito Creek in Council Bluffs, Iowa on Thursday, March 14, 2019.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
A Blackhawk helicopter hovers over Waterloo on Friday, March 15, 2019.
CHRIS MACHIAN, THE WORLD-HERALD
A cow makes his way through floodwaters near Columbus, Nebraska, on Friday, March 15, 2019.
CHRIS MACHIAN, THE WORLD-HERALD
A house is surrounded by floodwaters near Waterloo, Nebraska, on Friday, March 15, 2019.
CHRIS MACHIAN, THE WORLD-HERALD
Floodwaters run through the town of Rogers, Nebraska, on Friday, March 15, 2019.
CHRIS MACHIAN, THE WORLD-HERALD
Highway 75's northbound lane is closed because of flooding near Merritt's Beach RV Park on Friday, March 15, 2019.
CHRIS MACHIAN, THE WORLD-HERALD
Cars drive drive across a flooded Platte River on Highway 50 just north of Louisville on Friday, March 15.
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Water covers a road near Valley, Nebraska, on Friday, March 15, 2019.
CHRIS MACHIAN, THE WORLD-HERALD
Brent Schwindt of Norfolk, Nebraska, holds his son Paul, 4 months, as his wife, Lacey Hansen, sleeps on a blow up mattress at Lutheran High Northeast on Thursday, March 14, 2019, in Norfolk. The school was being used as an evacuation shelter for people affected by flooding in the area.
RYAN SODERLIN, THE WORLD-HERALD
Motorists are forced to turn around as West Maple Road west of 216th Street is closed as floodwaters rise over the road near the Elkhorn River in Elkhorn, Nebraska, Friday, March 15, 2019.
BRENDAN SULLIVAN/THE WORLD-HERAL
A crowd of people gather to overlook the floodwaters that continue to rise along the Missouri River in Plattsmouth, Nebraska, on Friday, March 15, 2019.
BRENDAN SULLIVAN, THE WORLD-HERALD
Homes, vehicles and RV's are submerged in floodwaters that continue to rise along the Missouri River in Plattsmouth, Nebraska, Friday, March 15, 2019.
BRENDAN SULLIVAN/THE WORLD-HERAL
Adam Jensen races to load his Lincoln Navigator outside his home near Mayne and Condron Streets in Valley, Nebraska. With three kids and a dog they plan to head to a hotel in Iowa. Valley residents were ordered to evacuate because of flooding on Friday, March 15, 2019.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
CJ Cunningham holds his German shorthaired pointer Cazz after they were rescued from the King Lake area on Friday, March 15, 2019.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
Water flows over Highway 30 between Fremont and Arlington, Nebraska on March 15.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
People keep an eye on floodwaters along Highway 30 between Fremont and Arlington, Nebraska on Friday, March 15, 2019.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
Horses belonging to Faye Etherington are brought into town through floodwaters on Highway 77 in Fremont, Nebraska, on Friday, March 15, 2019.
KENT SIEVERS, THE WORLD-HERALD
Paul Schmidt walks with his children Calvin and Avery while looking back at floodwaters over Broad Street in Fremont Nebraska on Friday, March 15, 2019.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
At sunrise, Norfolk City Engineer Steven Rames inspects the levy next to Northeast Community College on Friday, March 15, 2019, in Norfolk, Nebraska. Rames said that the levy was stable and that the water had dropped 8 to 9 feet.
RYAN SODERLIN, THE WORLD-HERALD
A pickup is stranded on the east side of Norfolk, Nebraska, in floodwaters on Friday, March 15, 2019.
RYAN SODERLIN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Sarpy County Sheriff’s Deputy Darin Morrissey rides an ATV through floodwaters in Hawaiian Village on March 16.
CHRIS MACHIAN, THE WORLD-HERALD
Ron Eklund looks east at a flooded Main Street on the eastern edge of Plattsmouth on March 16.
CHRIS MACHIAN, THE WORLD-HERALD
Bo Staskiewicz helps out as volunteers filled sandbags on Main Street in Plattsmouth, Nebraska, on Saturday, March 16, 2019.
CHRIS MACHIAN, THE WORLD-HERALD
Volunteers race to stave off floodwater by sandbagging along Old U.S. Highway 275 between Morningside Road and Downing Street in Fremont, Nebraska, on Saturday, March 16, 2019.
KENT SIEVERS, THE WORLD-HERALD
Volunteers racing to stave off floodwaters take part in a sandbagging effort along Old U.S. Highway 275 in Fremont on March 16, 2019.
KENT SIEVERS, THE WORLD-HERALD
The Elkhorn River covers West Dodge Road on Sunday, March 17, 2019.
JEFF BUNDY, THE WORLD-HERALD
Floodwaters cover Valley, Nebraska, on Sunday, March 17, 2019.
JEFF BUNDY, THE WORLD-HERALD
Water runs through a breached levee near Ashland, Nebraska, on Sunday, March 17, 2019.
JEFF BUNDY, THE WORLD-HERALD
Luke Thomas and Air Force Tech Sgt. Vanessa Vidaurre look at a flooded portion of Offutt Air Force Base on Sunday, March 17, 2019.
Z LONG, THE WORLD-HERALD
Nearly 3,000 feet of Offutt Air Force Base's runway is now covered by the Missouri River on Sunday March 17, 2019.
Z LONG, THE WORLD-HERALD
Anthony Thomson, left, and Melody Walton make their way out of the flooded blocks near 1st and M Streets after a visit to Melody's house where they loaded up supplies in Fremont, Nebraska on Saturday, March 16, 2019.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
A crowd gathers to watch residents make their way in and out of the flooded blocks near 1st and M Streets in Fremont, Nebraska on Saturday, March 16, 2019.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
Floodwaters destroyed County Road 18 at U.S. Highway 30 near Fremont, Nebraska on Saturday, March 16, 2019.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
Bonnie Warner, Barb Pierce, Katie Cameron and Amanda Pierce cheer for a convoy of Hy-Vee trucks escorted by the Nebraska State Patrol and the Army National on Sunday, March 17, 2019. The trucks delivered much needed supplies to the city that was surrounded by floodwaters.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
Hy-Vee staff rush to offload a convoy of trucks that were escorted by the Nebraska State Patrol and the Army National Guard Sunday, March 17, 2019 in Fremont, Neb. The trucks delivered much needed supplies to the city that was surrounded by floodwaters.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
People in Hamburg, Iowa, fill sandbags and build a water retaining wall as they defend the town from floodwaters on Sunday, March 17, 2019.
RYAN SODERLIN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Interstate 29 west on Hamburg, Iowa, is submerged by floodwaters from the Missouri River on Sunday, March 17, 2019.
RYAN SODERLIN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Bradley Perry and other help to fill sandbags as the city of Hamburg, Iowa, fights to keep their town from flooding on Sunday, March 17, 2019.
RYAN SODERLIN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Water runs over the levee protecting Hamburg, Iowa, on Sunday, March 17, 2019.
RYAN SODERLIN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Lana Brandt of Hamburg, Iowa checks out the rising water on the south side of the city on Sunday, March 17, 2019.
RYAN SODERLIN/THE WORLD-HERALD
The sun begins to set on the Missouri River floodwaters west of Hamburg, Iowa, on Sunday, March 17, 2019.
RYAN SODERLIN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Businesses on the southwest side of Hamburg, Iowa, were flooded on Sunday, March 17, 2019.
RYAN SODERLIN/THE WORLD-HERALD
People gather in downtown Hamburg, Iowa to watch the floodwaters creep closer to a barrier built on Sunday, March 17, 2019. The levee protecting the town from the floodwaters of the Missouri River broke, flooding the town.
RYAN SODERLIN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Floodwaters from the Elkhorn River begin to recede, revealing a heavily damaged west Dodge road on Monday March 18, 2019.
JEFF BUNDY
Paul and Margaret Vorthmann's flood damaged home in shown in Missouri Valley, Iowa on Monday March 19, 2019. The family began the process to salvage items from the home and clean.
MEGAN MCGILL/THE WORLD-HERALD
Amelia Fritz, left, hugs her daughter Heather Rockwell in Glenwood, Iowa on Monday, March 18, 2019. They were evacuated from Pacific Junction, Iowa after floodwaters hit the town. They are part of 15 relatives all staying in the same house or in a camper in the front driveway.
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Residents such as Andrew Bauer and Shawn Shonerd of the Bellwood Lakes neighborhood are among some who can only access their home by boat on Monday March 18, 2019.
BRENDAN SULLIVAN/THE WORLD-HERAL
Shawn Shonerd, left, and his partner Andrew Bauer, who live in Bellwood Lakes are surrounded by large chunks of ice Monday March 18, 2019 after the historic flooding along the Platte River days prior in Bellwood, Nebraska.
BRENDAN SULLIVAN/THE WORLD-HERAL
Debris floats on the surface of water in the Bellwood Lakes neighborhood in Bellwood, Nebraska Monday, March 18, 2019.
BRENDAN SULLIVAN/THE WORLD-HERAL
Two vehicles on the property of Duane Graybill are in disarray in Bellwood, Nebraska, Monday, March 18 after flooding hit the Bellwood Lakes neighborhood.
BRENDAN SULLIVAN/THE WORLD-HERAL
Kelcie Keeling holds a Nebraska necklace. Keeling has led the effort of donations that are available for those in need at the Butler County Event Center in David City, Nebraska, Monday, March 18, 2019.
BRENDAN SULLIVAN/THE WORLD-HERAL
Tom Strigenzs talks about the four feet of floodwater that occupies the basement of his Hawaiian Village home on Tuesday, March 19, 2019.
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
A Canada goose flies over Matthew J. Placzek's "Monument to Labor" sculpture as floodwaters from the Missouri River begin to recede on the Omaha riverfront on Tuesday, March 19, 2019.
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Jake Nebuda removes damaged items from the flooded basement of his brother Joe Nebuda's home in North Bend, Nebraska, Tuesday, March 19, 2019.
BRENDAN SULLIVAN/THE WORLD-HERAL
Donated bottled water is donated at the North Bend Central Junior/Senior High School Tuesday, March 19, 2019 as residents deal with the aftermath of major flooding which occurred days earlier in North Bend, Nebraska.
BRENDAN SULLIVAN/THE WORLD-HERAL
Samantha Wentz walks through floodwaters near 1st Street and Pierce Street in Fremont, Nebraska, Tuesday, March 19, 2019.
BRENDAN SULLIVAN/THE WORLD-HERAL
A vehicle is stuck in floodwaters near 1st Street and Pierce Street in Fremont, Nebraska, Tuesday, March 19, 2019.
BRENDAN SULLIVAN/THE WORLD-HERAL
Melissa Lenagh waits for the owners of the pets she rescued from floodwaters to show up in Hamburg, Iowa on Wednesday, March 20, 2019.
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Treyton Gubser, left, and his uncle Daniel Gubser paddle using shovels through the floodwaters after they rescued Daniel's kid's cat, Bob in Hamburg, Iowa on Wednesday, March 20, 2019.
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Bob the cat looks on from a basket in a boat after being rescued from floodwaters in Hamburg, Iowa on Wednesday, March 20, 2019.
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
People on a boat navigate through floodwaters that cover Washington Street in Hamburg, Iowa on Wednesday, March 20, 2019.
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
The cab of a pickup truck peeks out of floodwaters in Hamburg, Iowa on Wednesday, March 20, 2019.
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Lori Steinauer walks through the kitchen of her flooded cabin in the Willow Point neighborhood near Ashland, Nebraska, Thursday, March 21, 2019.
BRENDAN SULLIVAN/THE WORLD-HERAL
Dave Ziola stands near a flooded home in the Willow Point neighborhood of Ashland, Nebraska Thursday, March 21, 2019.
BRENDAN SULLIVAN/THE WORLD-HERAL
Lori Steinauer walks through a patio area of her flooded cabin located in the Willow Point neighborhood in Ashland, Nebraska, Thursday, March 21, 2019.
BRENDAN SULLIVAN/THE WORLD-HERAL
An angel statuary sits in a flooded yard in the Hanson Lakes areas in Bellevue on Friday, March 22, 2019.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
Steve O'Donnell works to open the skylight of his parent's flooded house in the Hanson Lakes areas in Bellevue on Friday March 22, 2019.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
Steve O'Donnell exits his parent's flooded in the Hanson's Lake areas in Bellevue Friday, March 22, 2019.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
A basketball hoop is tipped over into floodwaters in the Hanson Lakes area near Bellevue, Neb. Friday, March 22, 2019.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
Tim Bazar of Bellevue stands on the back deck of his flooded house on Chalet Drive in the Hanson's Lake area in Bellevue on Friday, March 22, 2019.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
* * *
Eric Alberts said he and his dad, who is his partner, have probably lost $125,000 just from their dead animals, which included sows, boars and feeder hogs. Counting the equipment and building at his livestock property, the losses could approach $600,000.
They lost 150 tons of silage and 50 round bales of grass hay and alfalfa. Four tractors and a skid loader were underwater and are a total loss.
They’ve been providing hay and corn by boat for the animals that have managed to survive since the Elkhorn River flooded. Monday was the first day they could access the land by foot.
They were able to get out eight horses, 50 head of cattle and the baby piglets before high water forced them to leave.
The 50 cattle left behind survived by reaching some high dirt piles. Some of the hogs also managed to swim to safety over 5-foot fences.
The piglets are now in the garage at his acreage, where he’s trying to keep them alive by providing a mixture of milk and baby pig pellets four times a day.
“That’s part of being a farmer, I guess,’’ he said. “You have to care for your livestock.’’
* * *
Audry Wieman said she and her husband continue to find dead cows on their property near Lynch. They’ve been going out often to assess the damage.
They were stranded between the Ponca and Niobrara Rivers. One of their cows is still stuck on the banks of the Ponca River by an ice jam. They’ve been bringing in water and feed to keep her alive.
Wieman said Boyd County is without water, so their well has been crucial for them and their neighbors.
She’s not sure how much of their herd of 200 has been lost.
“I simply don’t have any numbers,’’ she said. “We’re just waiting for the floodwaters to recede.’’