Nebraska Governor Declares State of Emergency

Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen has declared a state of emergency following severe storms that swept through central and eastern Nebraska, causing significant damage across six counties: Cass, Douglas, Lancaster, Sarpy, Saunders, and Washington. The storms, characterized by hurricane-force winds of up to 100 mph, resulted in widespread power outages affecting over 240,000 residents and substantial damage to public and private properties, including trees and power lines. The emergency proclamation allows the Nebraska National Guard to support local emergency managers and unlocks the Governor’s Emergency Fund for recovery efforts. This situation marks a historic outage incident for the Omaha Public Power District and may necessitate federal assistance if damage thresholds are met. Nebraska's congressional delegation has also urged President Biden to declare a federal emergency due to additional storm damages from earlier in the spring. Recovery efforts are being coordinated amid ongoing challenges, including restoring power and water services.