Fire Hall Shelters Those Stranded During Flood

Cots replaced meeting tables. Blankets and pillows were strewn about the fire hall.

Trying to make stranded travelers feel comfortable, the Neligh Fire Department, along with local community members, stepped up to help those in need due to the historic flooding that wreaked havoc throughout Northeast Nebraska last week.

After roads had become unsuitable for travel, Neligh opened up its fire hall as a make-shift shelter for those who were unable to get home or forced from their home.

“I was called from fellow firefighters who work for the state that said, ‘Hey can you help us,’ and ‘Bam!’ We had,” stated Neligh Fire Chief Mike Mortensen.

Volunteer firefighters quickly sprang into action preparing the fire hall for those displaced by the flood.

“It’s not just our department,” Mortensen noted. “We got good guys up north and south. It’s just the volunteerism. The state is strung out and we’re trying to help our fellow people in the emergency management system.”

Along with the crew getting to work, community members did all they could to lend a helping hand.

“We’ve had some fantastic people step up and offer to bring food, drinks, snacks and toiletries,” commented captain Jason Krebs. “We always keep a pretty good supply on hand for occasions like this, but the added support from the community and people willing to bring up additional food and everything we may need has been great.”

Neligh Fire and Rescue was also busy responding to calls, successfully making two rope saves Wednesday, answering calls for help and blocking roads.

“Everyone has stepped up,” Krebs continued. “We took shifts throughout the night, mostly supporting road closures. There had to be some water rescues and everyone has lent a hand with that. Everything has gone smoothly. We’ve had great communication with the Nebraska Department of Roads. They’ve kept us up-to-date and we’ve tried to lend a hand there wherever we can. The county officials, (sheriff) Bob Moore and his crew and the dispatchers have worked their tails off.”

Neligh’s volunteers also provided assistance to the National Weather Service.

“The sensor on the bridge broke, so the National Weather Service has been relying on Neligh Fire to give them readings on the river every two hours,” Krebs said. “(Assistant Chief) Dave Jacobsen has been working instrumentally with the National Weather Service, giving them water reports because their gauge out here is broken.”

Stranded travelers were appreciative of the volunteers and community’s efforts.

“The firemen have been very nice and all of the other people helping out have been great,” Judge Ross Stoffer said on Thursday. “They’ve had all kinds of really good food and have offered to do anything we may need. They have checked in on us constantly.”

Judge Stoffer, a Norfolk resident, was in Pierce for court and was unable to get home. Stoffer tried to go around through Neligh, but again was unable to get back.

“My biggest fear was coming from Pierce and being told I couldn’t get in and then trying to turnaround and go back to Pierce and that would be closed and I couldn’t get any further,” Stoffer remarked. “Then I’d be in the middle of nowhere. It’s nice to get to a place like this. You realize everyone is trying to do the best they can to get things open so you can get to where you need to go, but also doing it safely. You don’t want to put them at risk by trying to do something, getting stuck and then they have to come out and rescue you. It’s frustrating, but it’s good to be in a warm place and you know you’re safe. You just have to wait it out until the weather changes. There’s not much you can do about it.”

The Neligh Fire Department housed more than two dozen people Wednesday night and two people stayed the night on Thursday. Everyone had left the shelter by Friday morning. Those that were stuck, along with Stoffer, included residents from Niobrara, truckers passing through and a family from Minnesota.

“We are able to watch Nebraska basketball,” Stoffer added about how they have stayed busy while waiting to leave. “People have talked to relatives to make sure they are okay and we’ve been sharing stories about what we’ve been hearing about damages. Talking to the travelers, I found out one other person in here was in college with my daughter in Lincoln. You meet people that know people you know. That was fun and it helped to pass the time getting to know people.”

The only thing more powerful than the flood waters, was the outpouring of support shown by the volunteer fire department and the community.
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“It’s been fantastic,” Krebs concluded. “It speaks very well for our community and a lot of great people have stepped up and offered everything we could possibly need up here. It’s something everyone in our community can be proud of. Everyone has stepped up. Even though it’s something that has been pretty horrendous, everybody has stepped up and done a fantastic job.