Nebraska farmer says it will take years to recover from historic flooding

It’s estimated as many as one million calves were lost in the Nebraska flooding.

Hank Klosterman knows that heartbreak all too well.

“I’ve got an 83-year-old grandfather and he could stand out here and tell you he’s never seen anything like this,” Klosterman, owner of H-KO Land and Cattle, said.

H–KO Land and Cattle sits just three miles outside of David City, Nebraska.

Ranching has been Klosterman’s family’s lifeline for over a century, but recent flooding has taken a toll on both Klosterman and his ranch.

“We not only saw cattle that had been swept away with the water or drown, but we also saw a lot of the grazing lands that covered with sand, fences wiped out, so not just a one year impact we’re talking maybe a three to five year plan to get back into the ranching side.”

The seven–thousand acre ranch is made up of both feed lots and pastures that rest along the banks of the Platte River.

When the waters rose to record levels in mid–March it swept away 20% of his herds and devastated the land.

Farmers from across the county have been bringing hay into the community to feed hungry cattle and help out their fellow men.

Klosterman estimates it will be at least a year before the flooded pastures are usable again and even longer until they recover economically.

“I can’t give you an exact dollar amount, but I can tell you it’s probably north of seven figures for an operation of this size.”

The losses have Klosterman down but not out.

The lifelong rancher says recovering will take time, but neither he nor his ranch will be going anywhere anytime soon.

“You know it’s a large impact for an operation, it takes you some time to come back, but the industry has seen it’s ups and downs we’re pretty resilient people. I figure it will be a few years to climb out but it’s what we do, it’s what we know.”