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March 14, 2019

On March 14, 2019, the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency fully activated the State Emergency Operations Center after a weather phenomenon referred to as a “bomb cyclone” hit the state causing severe blizzard conditions in the western panhandle and extreme thunderstorms in the east. Due to frost-depth levels, and heavy snowpack from a nearly record snowfall winter, the snowmelt and rain immediately inundated Nebraska’s waterways, causing catastrophic flooding for the eastern half of the state, as rivers crested to new record highs, and dams and levees began to fail.

As a result of this unprecedented event, the Nebraska National Guard was immediately called to action, responding in ways never seen before – especially within their home state. For nearly a month, the Nebraska National Guard would complete flood-related missions – the largest domestic response in state history at the time. Their efforts would result in rescuing 112 citizens and 13 pets; delivering more than 90 tons of hay to stranded livestock; placing more than 2,000 sandbags; supporting eight counties with traffic control; and much more.

This website is a catalog of those efforts, and a look at the lessons learned from the response to such a historic event.

Reflections

Sometimes you just have to put the camera down

BY: LISA JODEAN CRAWFORD On the late afternoon of March 14, 2019, instead of shutting down my computer and preparing to head home for the night, I found myself standing in a small conference room on the lowest level of Joint Force Headquarters listening to both military and civilian emergency management leaders diligently – yet…

by Lisa JoDean

Your future response is often predicated on the past event

When Maj. Gen. Daryl Bohac, Nebraska adjutant general, looks back on his time as the dual head of the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency and the Nebraska National Guard, there are three years holding the most significant memories: 2013, 2019 and 2020. In 2013 – when he first became Nebraska’s adjutant general – he faced a…

by Lisa JoDean

The first time the helicopter is overhead is not the time to train on it

Nebraska National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 5 Jeff Caniglia will always look back on the historic floods of 2019 as “life changing” and one of his proudest moments. In October 2020 – a year and half after the historic floods of 2019 – Caniglia, Nebraska National Guard deputy state aviation officer, reflected on the Guard’s…

by Lisa JoDean

During the event is not the time to exchange business cards

In October 2020 – a year and a half after the historic floods of 2019 – Bryan Tuma, assistant director for the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), reflects on the state’s response and the top lessons learned. Perhaps the main takeaway from the events of 2019 was the need for forming partnerships ahead of disasters…

by Lisa JoDean

Think ahead and expect the absolute worst

When Camp Ashland began to flood in 2019, the cadre followed the training site’s standard operating procedure for evacuating students, staff, materials and equipment safely and quickly to the closest armory in Mead, Nebraska. The SOP – which was updated after the Salt Creek flooded the training site in 2015 – included installing flood doors…

by Lisa JoDean

About

This website was created to curate content and share the full story of the Nebraska National Guard’s response to the historic widespread 2019 Nebraska floods.

About the Editor:

Lisa JoDean Crawford created this project while at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as a graduate student pursuing a Master of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communications – Professional Journalism. She earned that degree in December 2020 and now continues to serve as a full-time Army public affairs specialist with the Nebraska National Guard. She lives in Lincoln with her three cats: Husker, Allie and Jewel.

Lisa JoDean Crawford
lisajodeancrawford@gmail.com

Thank you to the following for contributing to the success of this project:

  • Nebraska National Guard
  • National Guard Bureau
  • Nebraska Emergency Management Agency
  • 111th Public Affairs Detachment
  • 155th Air Refueling Wing – Public Affairs
  • 105th Military History Team
  • Nebraska State Patrol
  • Nebraska Governor’s Office
  • Nebraska Dept. of Admin. Services
  • Nebraska Governor’s Office
  • Nebraska Dept. of Admin. Services
  • Nebraska Dept. of Transportation
  • University of Nebraska – Lincoln
    College of Journalism and Mass Communications 

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After historic flooding ravaged Nebraska in mid-March 2019, the Nebraska National Guard would complete nearly a month of flood-related missions – the largest domestic response in state history at the time. Their efforts would result in rescuing 112 citizens and 13 pets; delivering more than 60 tons of hay to stranded livestock; placing more than 2,000 sandbags; supporting eight counties with traffic control; and much more. This video is a brief overview of those efforts. (Nebraska National Guard video edited by Spc. Lisa Crawford)