BEATRICE - City of Beatrice recreational land along Memorial Drive is inundated with floodwaters. Thursday, the water was at the edge of one of the Scott Street ball fields…..part of a complex of fields, picnic area and playground area.

West Court Street, or U.S. Highway 136, remained open to travel, and Mayor Stan Wirth says floodwaters are near the point where water could begin to creep onto the pavement.

http://media3.floodradio.com/columbus/2019/03/Beatrice-Flood-Update.mp3

:37 "is closed"

This week, city officials closed Center, Bluff and Helen Streets in west Beatrice…..and Grable Avenue….the main access to Chautauqua Park in the south part of the city.

Although the Big Blue is flooding rural lowlands and city park ground…..the river level is not expected to get close to the point where U.S. Highway 77 would have to be closed, in south Beatrice. The city street department is staging barricades, message boards and sandbags.

Beatrice Fire Chief Brian Daake says police were watching the area along 2nd Street between Grant and Ella, for possible water overflow. Officials says Belvedere Street in southwest Beatrice….a gravel road… is impassable and will not be available for use by the public.

One promising aspect is a forecast over the next few days calling for sunshine and almost no rain or snow.