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Greeley County maps safe routes and seeks FEMA aid after March floods
Summary
After March 2019 storms and flooding, Greeley County held an emergency meeting to mark impassable roads and suspend rural bus routes, then worked with Region 26 and NEMA to secure a Presidential disaster declaration for debris removal and emergency protective measures.
GREELEY COUNTY, Neb. — After severe March storms left bridges and rural roads impassable, the Greeley County Board of Commissioners called an emergency session to identify safe travel routes for emergency personnel and to make immediate public‑safety decisions.
At an emergency meeting March 18 Vice Chairman Jordan Foltz said county staff and the highway superintendent marked bridges that were out and identified roads that were impassable or limited to four‑wheel‑drive vehicles. The board recommended a newspaper notice warning residents about hazardous conditions and agreed to suspend rural school bus routes until conditions improved.
Region 26 Director Alma Beland told the board the county’s March 15 declaration to the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency had led to a Presidential Declaration that approved Category A (debris removal) and Category B (emergency protective measures). "Greeley County has been approved for Category A - Debris Removal and Category B - Emergency Protective Measures," Beland said, and she urged residents to report damage via the Region 26 website so individual losses could be documented for federal assistance.
Highway Superintendent Lance Harter and Emergency Manager Mark Bauer worked with commissioners to map emergency routes, flag bridge closures and develop follow‑up repair plans. The board instructed Road District #1 to continue damage assessments and planned to update maps as repairs progressed.
The county also reviewed Right‑of‑Way certifications for numerous emergency relief sites and later sought short‑term borrowing to cover cash‑flow needs while disaster repairs and related invoices were processed.
Next steps: county staff continued damage reporting to Region 26 and federal partners, the board approved bridge inspections and road plan adjustments, and officials said they would update residents when roads were reopened or further restrictions were put in place.
