2024 tornado outbreak: Nebraska, Iowa governors push for federal disaster relief

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – The governors of Nebraska and Iowa are asking for federal funds to help residents recover from last Friday’s devastating tornadoes.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds declared a state of emergency for Pottawattamie County hours after a deadly tornado struck Minden, Iowa, severely injuring Nicholas Ring, who died a day later. She later added eight other counties to the declaration: Clarke, Crawford, Harrison, Mills, Polk, Ringgold, Shelby, and Union counties.

On Thursday, Reynolds requested “expedited” relief, urging President Biden to declare a federal disaster for the area, which would release funding for affected counties from the Federal Emergency Management Agency as well as the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen said Saturday that President Biden had expressed support.

“The federal government is here to help us every single step of the way and we’ll being having declarations soon. So we’ll make sure that we’re helping everybody,” Pillen said then.

TORNADO RECOVERY

How to help — and find help

Here are ways you can assist those in Nebraska and Iowa who are recovering from tornadoes that hit on Friday, April 26.

Pillen issued Nebraska’s state of emergency proclamation for Douglas, Washington, and Lancaster counties on Sunday.

On Thursday, his office reported that had formally submitted an application to the president requesting “federal assistance for a wide range of emergency relief costs, including debris removal, emergency protective measures and individual assistance,” according to a news release.

“Preliminary cost assessments submitted to FEMA for public infrastructure damage in all counties is $11.5 million. Over $8 million of that is for damage assessed to public infrastructure in Douglas and Washington,” the release states.

Authorities have estimated that nearly 400 homes in Nebraska were impacted by Friday’s tornadoes, including about 160 that were completely destroyed. Pottawattamie County officials have reported that about 300 homes and businesses sustained some sort of damage; 48 homes in Minden were entirely destroyed.

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