DEWITT, Neb. (AP) — Governor Pete Ricketts has declared a state of emergency in areas of Nebraska affected by tornadoes and flooding.
Authorities scrambled Thursday to evacuate as water from tributaries throughout the southeastern portion of the state rose in the wake of nearly a foot of rain.
The Saline County Sheriff's Office asked DeWitt residents to go to the village hall, and further south, flooding in Jefferson County forced some evacuations.
Several highways and local roads in Lincoln and surrounding areas were closed because of runoff from overnight thunderstorms in southeast Nebraska.
The storm system also produced several tornadoes that swept parts of southeast and south-central Nebraska. Most were small and tore through farmland, though several homes were reported damaged around Grand Island, Roseland and Hebron.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.