Governor Declares State of Emergency Following Central Nebraska Tornados

(Lincoln, Neb.) Gov. Dave Heineman has declared a state of emergency in response to severe weather that unleashed several confirmed tornados this evening in the central Nebraska area of Kearney and Aurora.

The Governor is expected to travel to the area tomorrow to survey storm damage.

“Our state Emergency Operations Center has been activated and initial reports indicate some severe damage as a result of this evening’s storms,” Gov. Heineman said. “We won’t know the full extent of the damage until tomorrow, however it appears that Kearney was hardest hit and that is where our assistance will be focused overnight. A secondary operations center is being established in the area to coordinate with local emergency management and first responders.”

An emergency declaration allows access to state and federal resources. The Nebraska National Guard is on standby and is prepared to respond as necessary.

The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) will continue to monitor additional storm activity throughout the night. Early reports indicate that there are several dozen homes damaged in and around Kearney, and several more that sustained damage in the Aurora area.

State officials have been in contact with federal emergency managers and will be working with local officials to survey damage.