OMAHA — Nebraska suffered more than $3.4 billion in losses from disastrous weather last year, while the toll was $1.9 billion in neighboring Iowa, according to a federal report.
The intense storm in March caused most of the damage, said the National Centers for Environmental Information, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The rain and snowmelt runoff led to record flooding in eastern Nebraska and in Iowa, and the storm system included a blizzard that struck most of western Nebraska.
The combination “was an unprecedented event, in scope and size and impact on the state of Nebraska,†Bryan Tuma, assistant director of the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, said. “I don’t think we’ve ever quite experienced anything like this before.â€
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The country experienced 14 weather disasters in 2019 with losses exceeding $1 billion each and totaling about $45 billion, the report issued last week said.
The Nebraska drought of 2012 was the state’s costliest weather disaster, causing an estimated $4 billion in losses. Iowa’s costliest year was 1993, when the state sustained more than $11 billion in losses, mostly from flooding.
Flooding photos, video
Four years ago: Photos, videos from catastrophic flooding in Nebraska
Flooding in Nickerson, 3.13
Flooding in Wahoo, 3.13
Flooding in Nickerson, 3.13
Flooding in Ashland Area, 3.14
Flooding in Ashland Area, 3.14
Flooding, Ashland
Flooding, Hooper
Flooding, 3.14
Flooding, 3.14
Flooding, 3.14
Flooding, 3.14
Fremont flooding
Rescued in boat
Spencer Dam
Highway flooding
Genoa bridge
Stranded cattle
Flooding, 3.15
Flooding, 3.15
Tuxedo Park in Crete
Platte River flooding at I-80
Flooding near Plattsmouth, 3.16
Peru flooding, 3.17
Peru flooding, 3.17
Peru flooding, 3.17
Peru flooding, 3.17
Peru flooding, 3.17
Peru flooding, 3.17
Peru flooding, 3.17
Peru flooding, 3.17
Rescuing calf in Fullerton
Nebraska City flooding
Cooper plant
Water flowing over levee L575 across the river from Nebraska City in Percival, Iowa
This March 17, 2019, photo released by the U.S. Air Force shows an aerial view of Offutt Air Force Base and the surrounding areas affected by floodwaters.