When the Platte and Missouri river systems could not drain the rain and ice from the "bomb cyclone" weather event in northeast Nebraska in March 2019, the Spencer Dam on the Niobrara River was swept away and a resident that lived just below it, 71-year-old Kenny Angel, was killed in the ensuing flood.

A new report on the failure by the Association of State Dam Safety Officials says dam owners and state authorities must do a better job of preparing for such ice runs on rivers in northern climates, while also finding that authorities need to collect and provide more information about the history of dams such as Spencer. The report says ice chunks, some weighing tons, clogged the gates, caused overtopping of its earthen berm and, eventually, overwhelming what remained of the run of river dam.