Vice President Pence traveled to Nebraska on Tuesday to survey the catastrophic flood damage that has spread across the state and other parts of the Midwest in recent days.
Pence will meet in Omaha with Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) as parts of the region remain submerged. Pence is making the trip at President Trump’s request, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said late Monday.
{mosads}Floods have killed at least three people in Nebraska and Iowa, and has affected residents in Missouri, South Dakota and Michigan, among other Midwest states. Dozens of counties and municipalities have declared states of emergency, and photos of roads and buildings underwater have circulated on social media.
The Associated Press reported that the widespread floods were caused by heavy rains that melted snow left by a massive late-winter storm. The resulting water build up has breached at least a dozen levees across Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri.
The president of the Nebraska Farm Bureau estimated that the floods could cause close to $1 billion in losses between crops and livestock, the AP reported. Numerous animals have died in the floods, and many farmers will be forced to plant crops late, if at all this year.
The regional Federal Emergency Management Agency office said Tuesday that it intends to request a presidential emergency declaration to assist with recovery efforts.