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Flooding, blizzard impact on Nebraska ag could approach one billion dollars

Nebraska ag director Steve Wellman is estimating the economic impact of last week’s flooding and blizzard events—to agriculture alone—will approach one billion dollars.

“It’s hundreds of millions of dollars, approaching a billion dollars of impact straight to agriculture,” Wellman says, “and we did not even try to include damage to structures or the infrastructure.”

Wellman says the movement of agricultural products has been affected by road and bridge closures.

“For example, one hundred loads of milk are picked up every day in Nebraska and delivered to processors. Two-thirds of those 100 loads go out of state. Some of those trucks have had to travel 100 to 150 miles extra to make those deliveries.”

The cattle and hog industries face similar challenges. The state transportation department says there are 200 miles of state highways that will need major repair or replacement, and 11 bridges are closed.

AUDIO: Excerpts from Steve Wellman’s conference call with reporters