Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen declares emergency in counties along Missouri River

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen declared a state of emergency Monday for all counties along the Missouri River.

Pillen said he is acting proactively to limit the impact of any flooding that may occur over the next few days.

The declaration will immediately free up any state money for recovery efforts if needed.

Excessive rainfall in eastern South Dakota, northeast Nebraska and northwest Iowa has caused flooding, road closures and evacuations near the river.

Officials on both sides of the Missouri have been closely monitoring the conditions along the river and its tributaries since late last week.

Over the weekend, Pillen deployed a National Guard crew to help the Iowa National Guard in search and rescue operations near Sioux City.

Pillen and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds made a joint request for people to stay off the river in the coming days.

“Now is not the time to be on the water,” they said in a press release. “In addition to higher-than-normal flow, there’s also the potential for more debris in the water, which poses a significant risk to anyone on the Missouri. It’s best to wait until levels return to normal to resume regular activities.”