Adj. Gen. Craig Strong who oversees the Nebraska National Guard and Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, right, joins Gov. Jim Pillen at a news conference to celebrate legislation for Guard recruitment and retention. Dec. 10, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)
LINCOLN — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen has requested a major federal disaster declaration for 12 counties following early August storms with hurricane-force winds that damaged a state prison.
Pillen a couple of weeks ago declared a state disaster for the severe wind and thunderstorms Aug. 8-11 in 23 counties in eastern Nebraska. The federal declaration, based on state and local damage estimates, narrows the request to severe wind and flash flooding Aug. 8-10 in 12 of those counties…