Premium ContentMouse over Home then click on Premium Content for information.An orange tent tucked among the trees. A blue lawn chair along the bank. Personal possessions scattered about a small camp.
During a short cruise up the Missouri River on Thursday, Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle saw signs of life slowly returning, even for the homeless.
Early on during the cruise, a blue heron lifted up from the bank and flew away as the River City Star chugged upstream from Miller's Landing.
Overall, conditions along the river appear better than hoped, Suttle said. "I expected to see much worse," he said. "The levee did its job."
Another sign of returning life: The River City Star resumes cruises this weekend, having received a waiver from the U.S. Coast Guard to be on the otherwise-closed river.
Sight-seers will see silt dunes and yellowing and fallen trees.
Freedom Park looks like a moonscape — the dropping river having left behind so much silt. The 530-ton USS Hazard, once buoyed by floodwaters, now lists to one side.
Suttle said the City of Omaha has spent $15 million so far in its flood fight, which doesn't yet include the costs of cleanup or repairs. City officials are hopeful that much of those costs will be borne by insurance and state and federal disaster aid. So far, the city has received $5 million from its insurer, Travelers.
Contact the writer:
402-444-1102, nancy.gaarder@owh.com
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