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Spencer Dam on the Niobrara River in Boyd County, Nebraska failed in the early hours of March 14, 2019, during flooding that put nearly every river in the eastern half of the state over its banks.

An unprecedented run of river ice, in chunks weighing up to three tons, blocked the dam's spillways. Water backed up behind the jam, overtopped the earthen and concrete structure and washed it out.

Kenny Angel, a Vietnam veteran who lived below the dam, was swept away when it went. His body was never recovered. Four people died in the March flooding across Nebraska.

Investigators later concluded that dam owners and utilities on northern rivers need to plan for ice runs. Federal money was committed to removing what was left of Spencer Dam, which will not be rebuilt.