Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and First Lady Susanne Shore launched an initiative to recognize Nebraska’s flood heroes for their extraordinary acts of bravery in service of their communities. 

As the state prepares to honor Nebraskans for their remarkable service, they invite Nebraskans to submit nominations online at nebraskaimpact.com/flood-heroes.

“Nebraskans across our state displayed inspiring courage dur­ing March’s natural disaster, and in some cases their actions saved lives,” Ricketts said in a release. “We are asking Nebraskans to share stories of selfless service and heroic deeds so that we can honor the men and women who put their families and communities first. I encour­age Nebraskans to take a moment to nominate a hero who stepped up during the blizzards and floods this spring.”

Nominations will be reviewed and honorees will be selected and receive recognition later this year.

Heavy rainstorms and rapid snowmelt caused severe flooding in much of the state in March. Due to the impacts of the extreme weather, 81 counties and 104 cities through­out Nebraska issued disaster decla­rations.

During the floods, first re­sponders, firefighters, police of­ficers, state troopers, the Nebraska National Guard, the Nebraska Department of Transportation, and thousands of private citizens worked tirelessly to ensure public safety, protect property and provide relief to flood victims.

Shore said that many Nebraskans rose to the challenge during the flood.

“Many worked overtime, risked their personal safety and generous­ly contributed their time and money to give aid to their communities,” Shore said in a release. “We look forward to hearing stories of the heroes in our midst. We also want to give them official recognition for their service to our state.”

– Nebraska Governor’s Office