LINCOLN, NE – Governor Jim Pillen has submitted a request to President Joe Biden requesting a federal disaster declaration for the state. It includes a request for federal assistance for a wide range of emergency relief costs, including debris removal, emergency protective measures and individual assistance. The affected area includes multiple counties across eastern Nebraska.
The request comes in the aftermath of destructive storms that hit multiple counties across the state last weekend. Shortly thereafter, Gov. Pillen declared a state of emergency for three counties affected by tornadoes — Douglas, Washington and Lancaster.
FEMA has been working with the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to obtain accurate damage assessments, which included a fly-over of those areas yesterday with Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly, who also serves as the state’s homeland security director. Preliminary cost assessments submitted to FEMA for public infrastructure damage in all counties is $11.5 million. Over $8 million of that is for damage assessed to public infrastructure in Douglas and Washington It was noted in the request that the number would increase as storm damage assessments continue to take place.
The number of homes impacted by the tornado in Douglas and Washington counties, as validated so far by FEMA is nearly 400, including almost 160 homes that were deemed to be destroyed.
