County Won’t See Funds From Disaster Declaration

By Gordon HopkinsJefferson County Commissioners signed a disaster declaration Tuesday morning, January 16, at their weekly meeting. However, Jefferson and Saline County Emergency Manager John McKee informed the commissioners the county was unlikely to see any financial assistance from the state.“ This declaration basically is just a piece of paper,” said McKee. “There will not be any reimbursements.”McKee explained, “This storm has not met the criteria set for reimbursement. So, there is no reimbursement back to the counties, municipalities or anybody for anything, any expenses. So, what I’ve done in the last 24 years is, as I still do, and all of us EM’s (Emergency Managers) are doing it, we’re doing the documentation, signing it. We’re submitting it to the state just in case something might change. Right now, it’s not going to change and it doesn’t sound like the governor is going to change his mind.”The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as authorized by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, provides funding through the Public Assistance Grant Program (PA) to reimburse local, state, tribal, and territorial governments and select private non-profits for costs associated with response and recovery efforts caused by disasters. Only damage to public infrastructure is eligible for reimbursement under this program. FEMA evaluates several metrics to determine if the incident qualifies: impact to local jurisdictions, are local, state, and/or tribal capabilities overwhelmed, is the countywide damage threshold met ($4.44 per capita), and is the state threshold met ($1.77 per capita). For PA funds to become available, the disaster must be severe enough to qualify for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration or Emergency Declaration for the affected areas. McKee said, “But hopefully there will be some change of heart down the road. But NEMA (Emergency Management Agency) is trying to follow what FEMA does, just in case it does go to a federal declaration, and it’s not meeting that requirement.Governor’s DeclarationGovernor Jim Pillen declared a State of Emergency for eastern Nebraska in response to the severe winter weather that has paralyzed much of the state. However, McKee said this likely won’t result in funds for the county, either, “The governor’s declaration is just for the state. The declaration allows for them to holler at their neighboring states to bring in equipment.” The emergency declaration allowed the state to seek assistance from South Dakota through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) in the form of two truck-mounted blowers and two loader blowers as well as crew support, which will help supplement crews from the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT), who have been working to reopen highways and local roads.McKee said, “So, it was more so the governor could get the roads of the state roads open. That’s basically what it was.”Local Rescue Effortsheavy snowfall and high winds made roads virtually impassible for much of the winter weather emergency and many roads and highways were closed. People were advised not to travel if at all possible.Jefferson County Sheriff Nick Georgi also attended the meeting and gave an update on county roads.“The worst day was Friday (January 12),” said the sheriff. “I wouldn’t say we were out all day rescuing people, highways, county roads. I mean, county roads are obviously local people. But I will say that 90 percent of the people we had to rescue on the highway weren’t local. So, a lot of our locals were staying home or off roads.” Many people became trapped in snowdrifts and were forced to abandon their vehicles. Sheriff Georgi said, “I think by the end of the day, Friday, we had 12 or 13 cars that we just left in the middle the highways. You know, tow trucks can only do so much.”The Sheriff said, “The biggest thing was getting the word out to try to keep people off roads.” Challenges Faced by Road CrewsIn addition to drifting snow, sub zero temperatures wreaked havoc with county equipment, as noted by Jason Eyer and Terry Blas of the Jefferson County Highway Department.County Commissioner Michael Dux said, “I guess I’d like you to update some of the issues we’ve had you know, broken windows hydraulic lines, flat tires, a lot of DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) fluid emission problems.”“They don’t like cold weather at all,” said Eyer, who explained that temperatures got so low it caused the fuel to gel. Commissioner Mark Schoenrock noted, “We’re going on now six straight days of working 15 hour days. And yes sir, it’s take its toll. And so we have to make sure we’re taking care of not only our highways but our highway operators as well.”The first storm hit Monday morning, January 8, and crews are continuing to clear roads.The job of the road crews under the winter weather emergency was not just grueling but dangerous. Commission Chairman Gale Pohlmann told FJN, “I talked with the employee that was injured yesterday and he is home doing ok. He has some fractured ribs on his right side after slipping and falling on the hard snow pack assisting another operator who was stuck. Fortunately it wasn’t any worse.”Commissioner Schoenrock issued a statement Monday, January 22, “The Jefferson County highway department has worked non-stop for two weeks in extremely challenging conditions to keep Jefferson County roads cleared from many challenges. This has included early mornings to late nights. Many roads have required clearing multiple times due to the inclement weather and high winds. We have pulled multiple of our citizens’ cars, trucks and other equipment from being stuck in snow drifts, and have cleared roads on an emergency basis for medical issues. Our equipment, although well-maintained, has suffered numerous breakdowns and broken parts due to the extreme conditions, and we are working to recover from that. We are extremely proud of our highway department and operators and all of our first responders, dispatch and courthouse employees for their dedication to duty over this long sustained period. This has been an extremely challenging period, unprecedented in recent memory. We will continue to work to keep our roads open and well-maintained and provide first class service and appreciate our citizens for the many expressions of appreciation we have received and for the patience demonstrated.”

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