Links:
FEMA Web Page about this Disaster
Nebraska Emergency Management Agency: Summer storms news and updates
Background
This federal disaster declaration was made following the severe weather and flooding from May 22 to June 24, 2008. Damage was widespread across almost the entire state, but was concentrated more in central and eastern Nebraska. An extremely active weather pattern brought wave after wave of severe weather across the same areas of the state, resulting in significant flooding and extensive damage.
Governor Heineman requested a federal disaster declaration on June 13, 2008.
President Bush declared a federal disaster area for 61 counties on June 20, 2008.
This federal declaration is for Public Assistance, Individual Assistance, and for Mitigation.
Included in this disaster are the following notable individual events:
May 24 and 25 - back-to-back days of extremely strong winds (approaching 100 mph) in eastern Nebraska; extensive tree damage and power outages
May 29 - Kearney: tornado damage to the county fairgrounds and airport
May 29 - Aurora tornado
May 29 - Platte Center: 8 inches of rain (estimated) caused flooding on Elm Creek and Shell Creek - more than 50 homes had damage
May 29 - Schuyler: major flooding on Shell Creek flooded more than 250 homes and evacuations
June 4 - Ulysses tornado
June 4 - Ceresco tornadoes
June 8 - Omaha tornado, called a "stealth tornado" in the media because it formed quickly as a result of rare wind patterns behind the storm - this resulted in practically no warning time.
Additional Information
Flooding in Schuyler
Kearney tornado YouTube video 1
Kearney tornado YouTube video 2
Kearney tornado damage YouTube video
Omaha tornado damage (KETV)
King Lake wind damage YouTube video (KETV)
(For all YouTube videos, additional videos may be available in "Related Videos" section)
Hastings National Weather Service office reports:
June 23 flooding - Buffalo and Hall County
Severe weather outbreak of June 4
Severe weather on June 5
Severe weather on June 7 & 8
Valley (Omaha) National Weather Service office reports:
Severe weather for May 29 & 30
EF2 tornado in Jefferson County, May 29
River Crests Make the Record Books
Preliminary storm reports, June 4 & 5
Ulysses and Ceresco tornadoes reports
Omaha tornado statement (6/8)
Omaha tornado update (6/10)
Map of Omaha tornado
Local storm reports - June 15
Storm reports - June 19
Storm reports - June 20
Severe weather of June 25
Counties declared:
Public Assistance: Adams, Blaine, Boone, Boyd, Brown, Buffalo, Burt, Butler, Cass, Chase, Colfax, Cuming, Custer, Dawson, Douglas, Fillmore, Frontier, Furnas, Gage, Garfield, Gosper, Hall, Hamilton, Hayes, Holt, Howard, Jefferson, Keya Paha, Lancaster, Lincoln, Logan, Loup, Merrick, McPherson, Nance, Otoe, Phelps, Platte, Polk, Red Willow, Richardson, Rock, Saline, Saunders, Sarpy, Seward, Sherman, Stanton, Thayer, Thomas, Thurston, Webster, York
Add-on Counties on July 3, 2008: Cherry, Dundy, Greeley, Johnson, Morrill, Nemaha, Valley
Individual Assistance: Buffalo, Butler, Colfax, Dawson, Douglas, Gage, Hamilton, Jefferson, Kearney, Platte, Richardson, Sarpy, Saunders
Add-on Counties on July 3, 2008: Custer and Lancaster
