Nebraska State Paper
January 8, 2007

Federal money will be available to state and local governments to help cover damages caused by recent winter storms.

The state received word Sunday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency had approved the disaster declaration sought by Governor Dave Heineman.

"Much of central Nebraska remains without power or powered by alternative means, and this assistance to the public entities trying to accelerate the recovery efforts in our communities is welcome and warranted under these difficult circumstances," Heineman said Sunday.

The declaration was based on damages from winter storms that began December 19 and ended January 2.

The disaster designation approved federal emergency funding for emergency protective action and debris removal in each of the 57 counties included in the governor's disaster request. Those counties are:

Adams, Antelope, Blaine, Boone, Brown, Buffalo, Cedar, Chase, Cheyenne, Clay, Custer, Dawson, Dixon, Dundy, Fillmore, Franklin, Frontier, Furnas, Garden, Garfield, Gosper, Greeley, Hall, Hamilton, Harlan, Hayes, Hitchcock, Holt, Howard, Kearney, Keith, Keya Paha, Kimball, Knox, Lincoln, Logan, Loup, Madison,  Merrick, Morrill, Nance, Nuckolls, Perkins, Phelps, Pierce, Platte, Polk, Red Willow, Rock, Seward, Sherman, Stanton, Valley, Wayne, Webster, Wheeler and York.

The federal emergency funding provides assistance to state and local government agencies, as well as qualified private nonprofit organizations for actions taken to prevent or reduce long-term risks to life and property from natural hazards following the storms.

Preliminary damage estimates from the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and public power utilities across Nebraska indicated at least $58 million in damages to public infrastructure. Those numbers are increasing as more utilities and governmental agencies compile detailed damage assessments.

Thousands of Nebraskans remain without power.