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From: Nebraska State Paper
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will be in Nebraska this week to have a look at flood damage.
U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson said Wednesday Vilsack also assured him that flood damage caused by the Missouri River and the Platte River will be treated as a natural disaster by the USDA and will thus be covered by crop insurance.
Nelson noted there had been rumors that the USDA might treat the flooding as man-made, and that farmers wouldn’t be able to recoup losses through crop insurance.
“Everyone at home is watching the flood situation,” Nelson told reporters during his weekly teleconference from Washington. “It looks like it’s going to get worse before it gets better.”
“The impact will be felt across our state, from west to east with record amounts of water flowing through the Platte River system and the Missouri River system,” Nelson said.
“I’m pleased Secretary Vilsack plans to view the flooding himself to understand the magnitude of what we face in the Midwest with floodwaters this year,” Nelson said.
“Secretary Vilsack assures me USDA considers these events natural disasters,” Nelson said. “He says that crop insurance will, in fact, cover damages, along with disaster assistance where applicable.”
Nelson is among those calling for an investigation into how the Army Corps of Engineers did its job in terms of releasing rising waters from the Gavins Point Dam in South Dakota.
Nelson said Vilsack pointed out that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has measured rainfall for the last 117 years; and that this is Nebraska’s 7th wettest year. It’s Wyoming’s 2nd wettest, Montana’s 3rd wettest and South Dakota’s 10th wettest.
Gov. Dave Heineman previously said he was certain that the federal government would approve a request for a disaster declaration that would make Nebraska eligible for federal aid.
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