State Available To Offer Help In Wake of Kearney Flooding

KEARNEY–(KFOR July 10)–Governor Pete Ricketts, along with area state lawmakers, the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Nebraska National Guard got a tour of flooded areas of Kearney on Wednesday.

“We’ve got assistance that has been asked for by the state has been sandbagging,” Governor Ricketts told reporters at the Kearney Regional Airport.

The state’s emergency operations center is also up and running, according to the governor.

As many as 300 to 400 people in Kearney were evacuated from homes or hotels and more evacuation measures continue.

Nebraska Emergency Management director Bryan Tuma says sandbagging materials were obtained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  For now, Tuma says they haven’t seen requests for search and rescue operations.

“We will continue to monitor, operate and react to any issues that come at the local level,” Tuma said.  He says ag producers need to contact their local farm service agency to see what can me done in the short time.

NEMA will work with FEMA to get an emergency disaster declaration.   One was already received for the massive flooding in March over central and eastern Nebraska.