LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska state emergency officials who faced record floods this summer are now scrambling to boost their ranks with more workers to help residents recover and rebuild their communities.
The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency plans to hire 17 new employees in the coming months, increasing from its current 41 to 58 workers.
Flooding throughout the state swamped the agency with service requests that began in March and continued throughout the summer. The recovery won't end anytime soon, as government officials undertake the slow process of rebuilding.
Bryan Tuma, the agency's assistant director, says that during the flood, his employees were overwhelmed with requests like never before, and that prompted officials to take a look at their staffing needs.