GRETNA, Neb. (KMTV) — Downtown Omaha may have felt the brunt of Saturday's flash flooding, but some residents in the western part of the metro are also recovering from the storm.
On Sunday, mud and soot covered the roads near 168th and Harrison, where the night before waters quickly overtook the area.
One man was scooping handfuls of water from the bottom of a van that had to be abandoned.
Near 168th and Harrison, a man is here trying to clean the vehicle his wife had to leave behind during the flash flooding last night. He says she was afraid for her life and at one point the water was up to her waist. @3NewsNowOmaha pic.twitter.com/q49ZfXkPOJ
— Jessika Eidson KMTV (@JessikaEidsonTV) August 8, 2021
He did not wish to speak on camera, but told us his wife was driving in the area and did not realize how fast and how high the water was on the street.
He said she doesn’t know how to swim and was fearful for her life as the water was quickly rising to be waist-deep.
She made it home safe but was a little shook up as they worked to get their vehicle home.
Further west in Gretna, the water was less a concern than the strong winds gusts. A wind gust of 63 mph was reported a few miles west of Gretna.
Lydia Levine described the wind speeds as frightening, and at one point she and her father sought shelter in the basement, in fear of any tornadoes.
“Water was coming in through my windows, it was a direct shot," Levine said. "Leaves were up against my windows, and it was just roaring."
She woke this morning to find her gazebo in pieces and her air conditioning unit on its side.
A look at some fo the storm damage in Gretna. Residents tell me the wind here was frightening- knocking down trees, tilting air conditioning units and pushing in windows. @3NewsNowOmaha pic.twitter.com/VMApQvckDi
— Jessika Eidson KMTV (@JessikaEidsonTV) August 8, 2021
“When I went around the corner and saw the AC off, I just couldn’t believe that," Levine said.
Nearby, neighbors were working together Sunday morning to clear out fallen trees limbs and carry heavy furniture back to their proper yards.
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