1 week Ago
Debris scattered near Garner Industries on April 27 after a tornado hit north of Lincoln the day before. Nebraska's Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday asked FEMA to expand the scope of the disaster declaration the federal government issued last week to include Lancaster County, which was left out of the initial declaration, the county's emergency management director said. If FEMA approves the state's request, federal funds would be available for county residents impacted by the April 26 tornado that clipped northeast Lincoln , damaging homes and businesses with wind speeds as high as 158 mph.
At Gov. Jim Pillen's request , President Joe Biden last week issued a federal disaster declaration for Washington and Douglas counties, where the storms that converged on eastern Nebraska last month did the bulk of their damage in the state, damaging around 400 homes, the governor said . Under Biden's declaration, Nebraskans impacted by the storms in those counties could be eligible for a swath of individual assistance from the federal government, including grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs meant to aid with disaster recovery.
Those impacted in Washington and Douglas counties could also be eligible for disaster unemployment assistance under Biden's declaration if their employment or income was lost or interrupted as a result of the storms. To qualify for such assistance, applicants must also be a U.S.
.
