DEWITT, Neb. (AP) - Cleanup efforts are ongoing in southeastern Nebraska after severe weather last week caused extensive flood damage throughout the small town of DeWitt.
Volunteers from nearby communities and several organizations have poured into the town with a population of around 500, bringing food, clothes, cleaning supplies and other necessities to help out residents, the Lincoln Journal Star (https://bit.ly/1IF6qeB ) reported.
Storms last Thursday caused flooding in residents’ basements and ruined their belongings. Broken TVs, soaked carpets, school pictures and a kitchen sink have piled up in a parking lot that has served as a makeshift dump.
Many residents add that they still need new water heaters because the floodwater rendered theirs unusable. Dennis McClintock of the Disaster Relief Effort said the organization will bring more than 120 water heaters to the community.
Residents John and Jen Chavez said six rooms, furniture and family memorabilia were ruined by the storms. They have made at least 20 trips to dispose of their belongings at the unofficial dump.
Jen Chavez said neighbors helped one another unload trailers after finishing their own.
“This whole community is in the same boat we are,” she said. “It’s not just us.”
The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency on Thursday requested the U.S. Small Business Administration to conduct damage assessments for homes in Jefferson, Saline and Thayer counties following the flooding. SBA provides low-interest loans to businesses and individuals for repair and replacement of property damaged in disaster declaration areas.
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Information from: Lincoln Journal Star, https://www.journalstar.com
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