BEAVER CROSSING, Neb. (AP) - Residents of the eastern Nebraska towns hit hard by tornadoes on May 11 are still cleaning up debris and beginning to make plans for rebuilding.
The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency said more than 700 volunteers were in Beaver Crossing Saturday to help the town’s 400 residents pick up.
Officials encouraged the volunteers to stay home on Sunday because heavy equipment will be used to pick up piles of debris that have been gathered since the storm, which caused a total of more than $20 million damage in several eastern Nebraska towns.
But volunteers will be needed again Monday. Army National Guard soldiers from Nebraska’s 92nd Troop Command will continue helping clean up the area through Tuesday.
Jackie LaPierre said she’s grateful just to have a house after the storms tore up the area around her farm south of Beaver Crossing. The tornado crumpled up her new utility shed and damaged her trees.
“It’s no big deal because we still have a house,” she said. “I’d be selfish if I didn’t realize how lucky we are.”
Beaver Crossing sustained some of the worst damage from the tornadoes. Fortunately, no serious injuries were reported in the storms.
NEMA said 227 homes were damaged near Beaver Crossing, including 16 that were destroyed and 22 that sustained major damage. A number of businesses and churches were also damaged.
Beaver Crossing officials plan to hold a town hall meeting on Monday to discuss the damage.
Sutton is another town that sustained heavy damage. Mark Brown said he was amazed by all the volunteer help as he worked to reopen his grocery store and clear debris from his yard.
“We had tree damage down in our yard and there were people cleaning whom I’d never seen before. They weren’t even from Sutton; they were from surrounding communities but they came in and helped clean up,” said Brown, who reopened his grocery store Saturday.
The state’s utilities also sustained heavy damage. The tornadoes knocked down several major transmission lines that made it challenging to restore power.
“When the tornado first went through it happened to pick a path that maximized damage to transmission assets,” said Max Van Skiver, general manager of South Central Public Power District, which serves Sutton.
Around Beaver Crossing, some of the homes around the outskirts of town have regained power, but work will continue into the week. Some homes may need additional repairs to their meters or lines even after electricity is restored to their neighborhood.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.