HEARTLAND FLOOD: Lakeside communities raise concerns over railway bridges, post-flooding

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) A lakeside community, in the midst of recovering from the flood, is concerned about debris collecting under a nearby railway bridge.

Dan Steyskal took his four-wheeler out the railway bridges earlier this week, about half a mile away from his home at Hanson Lake. What he saw has become a concern to the community.

"I can't believe the way that this bridge is,” said Steyskal. They're not maintaining any of the rubbish and trees and all that, that's congregating against the bridge."

Chip Frazier, is the president of the governing body of the lakeside communities of Chris, Betty, and Hanson Lakes.

"Residents of the community are anxious to get the cooperation of the railroads to keep those two bridges clear of debris so it doesn't become a beaver dam so to speak,” said Frazier.

He’s hoping the railway will get the debris removed as a preventative measure.

"So that the debris that's there doesn't continue to collect there and ultimately obstruct the flow to the point that it backs the water of the Platter River up in our area,” said Frazier.

The Platte River flows east, crossing under the Union Pacific Railway bridge first and then the BNSF Railway bridge.

"In this case, it looks like the UP (Union Pacific Railway) has done its due diligence but it looks the BNSF bridge that's further to the east, in this case, is actually fouled with quite a bit of debris,” said Frazier.

A Papio Missouri River NRD re[resentative confirmed it’s the responsibility of the railways to remove debris under its bridges.

Dan Steyskal is just hoping it happens sooner rather than later.

"I lost everything, I ain't got nothing more to lose, but there are people rebuilding, there are people who did a lot already and that are even into their houses again,” said Steyskal. “And if we have high water and this floods again, it's horrible."

6 News reached out to BNSF Railway Thursday afternoon and later in the day heard back from a representative, who said the company would be sending a crew out first thing Friday morning to start the cleanup.