Gov. Heineman Signs Emergency Declaration
Following Winter Storms

(Lincoln, NE) Gov. Dave Heineman today signed a state emergency declaration in the wake of winter storms that affected southeast Nebraska last week. The declaration ensures state assistance will be available to local entities involved in recovery and clean-up efforts.

Gov. Heineman said, “Given the damage reported in other states, we were fortunate that more of our communities weren’t in the path of the snow, sleet and ice that came with these storms. I appreciate the work of all those who’ve responded to power outages and other damage during the past week.”

Preliminary assessments indicate that public infrastructure sustained at least $2.3 million in damage, ranging from downed power lines and other power structures to damaged roads and the need for debris removal.

In addition to working with local emergency management, the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) will coordinate with federal officials to determine if the damage meets thresholds for federal assistance.

NEMA officials reported today that while a few rural customers remain without power, many customers had power restored over the weekend.