Pillen deploys Nebraska National Guard to assist with storm recovery, security

Gov. Jim Pillen announces Brig. Gen. Craig Strong as his pick for adjutant general of the Nebraska National Guard on Friday, May 26, 2023, in Lincoln. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

LINCOLN — Approximately two dozen Nebraska National Guard members will be deployed to Elkhorn to assist with security as early as Wednesday, in the wake of last week’s tornado outbreak.

Gov. Jim Pillen on Tuesday announced that the Guard will assist with neighborhood security after a string of tornadoes ripped through Lancaster, Douglas and Washington Counties, particularly the communities of Waverly, Elkhorn and Bennington. Soldiers will assist with deterring looting and managing heavy vehicle traffic.

Gov. Jim Pillen, front, toured Washington County with State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair (center right) and Maj. Gen. Craig Strong (right). April 28, 2024. (Courtesy of Gov. Jim Pillen’s Office)

At this time, Douglas County officials have requested National Guard personnel only for Elkhorn, though additional requests could be made in the future.

Pillen signed an emergency proclamation Sunday allowing access to the Governor’s Emergency Fund to help communities in the three counties recover from storm damage.

Over the weekend the governor and Adj. Gen. Craig Strong, who oversees the Nebraska National Guard, toured parts of the storm path and witnessed the damage firsthand. At a Monday news conference, Pillen said he and Strong were assessing damages and had not reached a decision on Guard deployment.

“I don’t know that anybody can find the right words to use it, but it’s a war zone,” Pillen said. “The longer it (the tornado) went, the bigger it got and the wider it was.”

The National Weather Service estimated the tornado that hit Elkhorn in western Douglas County, before moving into Washington County, was an EF-3 tornado, with 165 mph peak wind, the highest wind in the EF-3 rating before being classified an EF-4. 

The tornado was on the ground for nearly one hour and traveled 31.16 miles, crossing the Missouri River into Harrison County, Iowa. It had a maximum width of 1,600 yards, or 0.9 miles.

Pillen has said the Arbor Day storms destroyed about 450 Nebraska homes and that Nebraska remains in contact with federal partners, including FEMA, for additional assistance.

Strong said resources and “highly trained volunteers who are eager to help their neighbors in need” will be deployed whenever local officials request support.

“Part of our dual mission is to always be prepared to deliver support throughout the state and nation to help protect the safety and welfare of our fellow citizens,” Strong said in a Wednesday statement.

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