Nebraska
Nebraska tornadoes: Reality of rebuilding sinks in for those picking up the pieces
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Reality is starting to sink in for those who will need to rebuild after Friday’s tornado outbreak.
Jeff Smedlund, an independent insurance agent, said it’s hard to predict what lies ahead for the hundreds of homeowners who will need to repair or rebuild from the ground up.
Smedlund said, “This is an unprecedented loss that we just don’t know what the solution is going to be.”
Smedlund recalls the tornado of 1975.
“For us that were alive in 1975 the tornado, we recall it took almost a year for the homes to get rebuilt,” he said.
However, Smedlund says back then, we didn’t face the obstacles we do now.
“There is a shortage of materials and there is a shortage of labor and then when you throw in a large loss like this, it exacerbates the problem.”
Smedlund says the problem took off during the COVID pandemic.
“The shortage we’ve seen started back in COVID, and that has just progressed itself along so we’re finding a hard time getting materials in place, so that might have to come from other areas, might have to wait for it, and as far as the labor goes, we’re going to have to find the labor that can do the job.”
Smedlund says many local contractors are already tied up. “The labor pool that we have in Omaha is strained already with a lot of the large commercial projects we have. You’re looking at Amazon and Google that take up a lot of resources, and then with things that are going at Crossroads and things like that may impact the ability to get your home rebuilt as quickly as you want to,” he said.
Or for what many are willing to pay, unlike large companies.
Smedlund said, “They’re building large warehouses, and they want to get things done quickly and they have the money to get the talent to work on it.”
Smedlund says homeowner’s insurance should cover temporary housing like apartments or hotels. However, he warns, finding a hotel may be difficult this weekend because of the annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholders’ meeting.
Copyright 2024 WOWT. All rights reserved.
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen said Thursday that he has asked President Donald Trump to issue a major disaster declaration for damage caused by storms that hit the state May 15-18.
The storms spawned tornadoes and flash flooding across Buffalo, Fillmore, Gage, Howard, Jefferson, Nemaha, Thayer and Thurston counties. There were numerous downed power poles and lines as well as extensive damage to schools, building and roadways. Damage just to public infrastructure is estimated at nearly $5 million.
In addition to the disaster declaration request, Pillen said he also has requested access to the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which provides funding to governments to allow them to rebuild in ways that will reduce or mitigate future disaster losses. Approval would allow the state to apply for such grants.
Thursday’s disaster declaration request is the second in two months. Back in May, Pillen requested one for historic wildfires in March that impacted Arthur, Garden, Grant, Lincoln and Morill counties. At the time of the request, it was estimated there was at least $9.7 million in damage from the fires, which were the worst in Nebraska’s history.
Nebraska
Bandits back in the win column with tournament-opening victory in Nebraska – East Idaho News
OMAHA, Neb. – The Bandits opened the Omaha, Nebraska tournament with a 7-4 win over Fremont.
The Bandits, coming off two losses to Billings at last week’s Bandits Invitational, trailed 4-3 in the fifth, but tied it up on a sac fly by Cole Croft.
They scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth for the win.
Carter Bowen finished 3 for 3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Conner Cannon and Taye Lords each knocked in two runs for Idaho Falls (10-2).
Tyson Christenson picked up the win with four innings of relief.
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LOWELL, Neb. (WOWT) – On this day in 1872, the boomtown of Lowell, Nebraska was named the seat of Kearney County.
The Nebraska State Historical Society says the Burlington and Missouri River Railroads chose it as a town site the year before.
For a short time, it became a major shipping point for central Nebraska.
Its status would be short-lived.
Later that year, the railroad expanded to Kearney, which became the center for regional trading.
Lowell’s land office was removed in 1874.
Four years later, the boom town was nothing more than a village.
MORE LOCAL HISTORY
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On July 4, 2026, our country will celebrate its 250th birthday. Every day leading up to it, First Alert 6 will take a look at the people and events that shaped our area.
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