Nebraska City businesses bounce back from flood, just in time for orchard season

 Nebraska City
Nebraska City (WOWT)
Published: Aug. 21, 2019 at 4:58 PM CDT
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Business owners in Nebraska City are breathing a sigh of relief as their Iowa customers return.

For the better part of 5 months, the closure of Highway 2 forced them into a nearly 90-minute detour to the historic tourist destination.

Floodwaters destroyed the highway in March. It’s now been reopened for almost three weeks.

"The flood gates just opened,” said Kelly Bequette, owner of The Keeping Room, a restaurant and retail store on the city’s main drag. “I think people were just happy to get back over and they just flooded over basically.”

She said the timing is good, as the typically-busy orchard season fast approaches.

"We're lucky it opened in time. We're very grateful, very grateful for that and just the people who have flocked back in. It's nice to see them again."

Sharon Yahnke lives in Iowa. Nebraska City is usually her go-to place.

"It was the closest town of any size to do shopping, go to the doctor and all kinds of businesses,” said Yahnke.

But when Highway 2 closed it wasn’t worth the major detour.

"It's 100 miles round trip to get to Nebraska City,” said Yahnke. “No point in going."

For Bequette, there’s a silver lining surrounding the hardships of this year’s historic flood.

"It really has hit home how important our out of town customers are,” said Bequette. “Even though we knew that I don't think it home until something happens."

Work has begun to construct two new bridges just east of the Missouri River Bridge on Highway 2. The hope is this will prevent future closures in the event of another flood.