Governor Declares State Of Emergency
By Gordon Hopkins
Governor Jim Pillen declared a state of emergency for Eastern Nebraska in response to the severe winter weather that has paralyzed much of the state. Likewise, Jefferson County Commissioners signed a disaster declaration Tuesday morning, January 16, at their weekly meeting. Commission Chairman Gale Pohlmann said, “At this time the State is still assessing needs, and how this state of emergency will affect Jefferson County is still not clear.”
Emergency Declaration
Governor Pillen was joined by officials from Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT), Nebraska State Patrol and Nebraska Department of Agriculture at a press conference Saturday, January 13, 2024.
The governor echoed other state and county officials, asking that people stay off the streets if at all possible until the emergency is over.
“It’s really important that all Nebraskans stay home because the wind chill is crippling, the snow blowing is crippling,” said Pillen. “This event isn’t going away tonight. It’s not going away tomorrow. It’s going to take a number of days.”
The emergency declaration allowed the state to seek assistance from South Dakota through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). As a result, Nebraska would receive two truck-mounted blowers and two loader blowers as well as crew support, which will help supplement crews from NDOT, who have been working non-stop to reopen highways and local roads.
“The partnership with South Dakota through the EMAC will allow us to attack those sections of highway that remain closed at this time,” said the governor. “We appreciate the assistance from South Dakota as well as the coordinated efforts of our state and local agencies. They have been working around-the-clock to ensure public safety, while mitigating the impact to our farmers, ranchers and businesses, as much as possible.”
So far, NDOT crews have put in more than 35,000 man-hours since the storms began. Throughout the weather event, shifts have lasted 16 hours or more.
“NDOT has been all-hands-on-deck 24/7 for a week now, bringing in equipment and people from other areas of the state,” said NDOT Director Vicki Kramer. “I thank each and every one of them for their dedication and selflessness, as well as our partners in Nebraska’s local governments and from South Dakota, for their coordination and support.”
Soon after the emergency declaration, NEMA activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC), to bring together state and local stakeholders. Twice-daily updates have been held since, with members joining in person and virtually to assess areas of concern and allocate resources.
Governor Pillen also issued Executive Order 24-1 to provide an emergency waiver of federal hours of service requirements for fuel truck drivers, to prevent shortages. The extremely cold temperatures leads to increasing electricity demand, which in turn increases pressure on power districts’ reserve fuel supplies. The order temporarily allows drivers to work extended hours to haul residential heating fuels and oils or fuel used to generate power for residential heat.
The Governor’s order is intended to reduce delays to ensure power districts have the fuel reserves needed to keep up with surging demand. It is effective immediately and will remain in effect through February 11, 2024, at 11:59 pm.
Roads
The first storm hit hard Monday morning, January 8, bringing heavy, wet snow that made for dangerous driving conditions and led to the cancellation of schools and meetings as well as the closure of many businesses and government offices alike.
A second round of snow began Thursday, January 11. That snow was less wet, making it more susceptible to the accompanying high winds and leading to drifting snow. The Gage County Sheriff’s office noted, “The County Highway Department has crews out working on the roads, but with the high, blustery winds, the roads can get covered up within minutes of being plowed.
On Friday, Jefferson County Commissioner Pohlmann issued a statement, “On behalf of the Commissioners and the highway department, we urge people to please stay home if you do not need to go out. Road conditions are very hazardous and east/west roads are pretty much blocked off. The extreme cold, windy, and whiteout conditions this morning are making it difficult to move snow. Our crews are out mainly working emergency situations at this point. With the cold weather and winds the next few days snow removal will continue to be difficult. Our crews will do their best, but we need to keep safety in mind for our employees also. We ask you to be patient, keep your safety and our employees safety in mind. Please stay home! Thank you!”
Snow crews have been working almost nonstop since the weather emergency began and it has proven to be not just hard work but dangerous as well, as Pohlmann noted, “Yesterday we had many challenges as operators were getting stuck and needing assistance from another operator which reduces efficiency. This was a heavy wet snow covering every inch of the roadway requiring more time for removal. We’ve experience breakdowns, responded to medical emergencies and numerous phone calls. The winds have caused continual drifting, and unfortunately one of our operators sustained serious injuries assisting another operator. Some of our operators worked late last night, and started again early this morning. We are doing are best and ask that you please be patient with us.”
Stranded Vehicles
Snow drifts and impassible roads have lead to a number of vehicle becoming stranded. Since last week, the Nebraska State Patrol has responded to more than 1,200 stranded vehicles and have performed over 400 motorist assists since Saturday.
State patrol NSP Colonel John Bolduc warned, “As temperatures and wind chills remain critically low, it is imperative that anyone who becomes stranded stays in their vehicle and calls for help immediately. Hit *55 on your mobile phone or 911, and the closest first responder will work to reach you as quickly as possible.”
