Johnopfor Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 Well, not yet, but the flooding here in Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa has caused a lot of damage..... https://www.omaha.com/news/military/air-force-gives-up-fight-to-stop-water-at-offutt/article_631f9b34-5271-50e8-b5eb-19f488daaf32.html?fbclid=IwAR0-2zkaxDgAXo8kX0E-FCWv1cn22UZcZJQOJvRIwRDaOy8lyXVBtuEVsec Some of the planes have been sent to Lincoln, NE to continue operations, most of the flooding has been confined to the SE part of the base, including the runways. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ikar Posted March 18, 2019 Share Posted March 18, 2019 I wonder if the underground sections were in the flooded zone. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Johnopfor Posted March 18, 2019 Author Share Posted March 18, 2019 According to base officials, the former SAC Headquarters, the new STRATCOM building and all of the underground bunkers and facilities haven't been affected. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted March 18, 2019 Share Posted March 18, 2019 Sounds like it's getting much worse. A good chuck of the base (including the E-4 hanger) is underwater. The aircraft that couldn't fly out are all clustered at the far end of the field. The water continues to rise. Not sure I see the logic in building a massive network of underground command posts in an area that's prone to flooding. But hey, that's just me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ikar Posted March 18, 2019 Share Posted March 18, 2019 Flooding hasn't been that much of a problem in the past as far as I remember and the threat of a nuke attack was far more possible during the cold war. I had a chance to volunteer to be assigned to the S.A.C. elite back in the early 70s, but I turned it down. I had seen pictures of those guys, berets, cross draw weapons with stag handles, white ascots and all the rest (check a certain episode of Star Trek), but I decided I would rather be a regular patrol cop doing police work that a statue for 8 hours. Life on a primary target didn't appeal to me either and I tried to avoid it as much as possible, usually with no success. I was raised not far from a major instillation and remember the salesmen trying to sell my father a bomb shelter. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Johnopfor Posted March 19, 2019 Author Share Posted March 19, 2019 8 hours ago, 11bee said: Sounds like it's getting much worse. A good chuck of the base (including the E-4 hanger) is underwater. The aircraft that couldn't fly out are all clustered at the far end of the field. The water continues to rise. Not sure I see the logic in building a massive network of underground command posts in an area that's prone to flooding. But hey, that's just me. This situation is a combination of things that came together at once. We already had an much above average snowfall, below normal temperatures that kept the ground frozen, ice formations along most of the rivers in Nebraska including the Elkhorn that already started back-ups (they actually considered using dynamite to break up the ice if the situation got worse), a couple of blizzards in central Nebraska, then followed by a rapid increase of temperatures and a lot of rainfall in Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa within a two day period....on a ground that was already frozen and saturated......yeah, this flood has broken records all over the state. Even the floods of 2011 wasn't this bad. BTW, those underground facilities and the headquarters buildings are built on the higher ground on the west side of the base, they weren't in danger of flooding. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
parche Posted March 19, 2019 Share Posted March 19, 2019 From the pictures, the NIGHTWATCH blockhouse is under water... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
afspret Posted March 19, 2019 Share Posted March 19, 2019 Anyone know how the B-17F on display near the SAC Gate faired? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Johnopfor Posted March 20, 2019 Author Share Posted March 20, 2019 (edited) 4 hours ago, afspret said: Anyone know how the B-17F on display near the SAC Gate faired? I'm sure it's OK, being not too far from the gate off of Capehart Rd, which is still above water. Here is a satellite image of Offutt.... The airshow that was scheduled for later on this summer has been cancelled. Edited March 20, 2019 by Johnopfor Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted March 20, 2019 Share Posted March 20, 2019 (edited) 11 hours ago, Johnopfor said: I'm sure it's OK, being not too far from the gate off of Capehart Rd, which is still above water. Here is a satellite image of Offutt.... The airshow that was scheduled for later on this summer has been cancelled. Yikes, 2nd AF base to be put out of commission within the last few months. In addition to the E-4 area which looks to be a total loss, there is a Weapons Storage Area or bunker complex on the north side of the runway that is completely submerged. Edited March 20, 2019 by 11bee Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wxltcol Posted March 20, 2019 Share Posted March 20, 2019 I believe that's more likely maintenance and SP buildings. Since Offutt doesn't have armed aircraft, it's likely not a bomb or missile storage facility, although some weapons are stored for the SPs that could include machine guns and possibly 40 mm grenades. This is historic flooding, due to a combination of heavy snowfall over February, cold temps keeping the snow from melting, rainfall on top of the snow, and warming contributing to a rapid melt that ran onto frozen rivers. Ice jams aren't helping, either. However, the water's receding, at least at Offutt and the NWS office in Valley, NE. I know they're assessing the NWS office building in Valley and have the 88D weather radar back on line. Amazingly, it appears no water got inside, even though it was almost to the eaves. Tom Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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