Since last fall, Nebraska Extension has been engaging in statewide blizzard and flood recovery efforts, working collaboratively with partners to identify recovery strategies and tactics. Our organization has representation on several working groups and task forces.
The mission of the Governor’s Recovery Task Force is to leverage the cooperation and partnerships to fully assist all those in need, restore a new normalcy to all families and communities influenced by this event, and adequately prepare for any future disaster as efficiently and effectively as possible. The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency is the coordinating agency, and Hagerty Consulting is providing support to NEMA during the recovery process.
There are six working groups of the Governor’s Recovery Task Force, and they are organized around Recovery Support Functions (RSFs): Economic, Health and Social Services, Housing, Infrastructure, Natural and Cultural Resources, and Agriculture. Nebraska Extension has representatives on two RSFs. Soni Cochran and Jean Ann Fischer serve on the Health and Social Services RSF, and Ashley Mueller, Tyler Williams, and Rick Rasby serve on the Agriculture RSF.
Nebraska Extension is also engaged in other work groups. The purpose of the Local Impacts Group is to review survey data from the state’s periodic needs assessment, determine how best to respond to findings from the data, and identify ways to support local communities. Nebraska Extension’s representatives on this group are Ashley Mueller and Jill Lingard.
Nebraska Impact’s “Nebraska Responds” initiative is a web-based platform that will serve as a centralized resource to share information about disaster relief resources and coordinate unaffiliated disaster-related volunteer efforts. The site will launch in 2020. Ashley Mueller and Mike Bergland-Riese serve as Nebraska Extension’s representatives for this initiative.
The goal of the Hazard Mitigation Task Force is to decrease the vulnerability of Nebraskans and their communities to the future human, economic, and environmental costs of natural disasters. Nebraska Extension’s representative on this task force is Dave Varner.
The recovery process is highly evolving, but our organization remains committed to helping Nebraskans and to being a strong state partner.