© DroneBase via AP
This Wednesday aerial photo shows flooding near the Platte River in in Plattsmouth, Neb., south of Omaha.
This Wednesday aerial photo shows flooding near the Platte River in in Plattsmouth, Neb., south of Omaha.
Heavy rainfall and rapid snowmelt have caused catastrophic flooding across the Missouri River Basin, and three-fourths of Nebraska's 93 counties have declared an emergency, Gov. Pete Ricketts said. The cost of the damage has surpassed $1.3 billion, state officials said, according to The Associated Press. That includes $449 million in damage to roads, levees and other infrastructure; $440 million in crop losses; and $400 million in cattle losses.
Ricketts estimated that more than 2,000 homes and 340 businesses were damaged or destroyed by the flood, at a cost of $85 million. The state is seeking a federal disaster declaration, which would quickly free up funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Ricketts spoke with Vice President Pence this week to discuss the flood damage. In the phone call, Pence told the president "it was some of the worst flooding he had ever seen in his life," Ricketts relayed to reporters. "I think that will help the president make the decision to sign that disaster declaration."
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