As thousands of Nebraskans continue to pick up the pieces following last week's historic flooding, Vice President Mike Pence visited the Cornhusker State to survey the damage left behind.
Pence made the trip to Nebraska on Tuesday to assess flood damage in the area and talk to local officials and lawmakers about the road to recovery. The Vice President was joined by Governors Pete Ricketts and Kim Reynolds, Senators Ben Sasse and Joni Ernst and Congressman Don Bacon as he surveyed the devastation.
After landing at Omaha's Eppley Airfield, Pence took to the skies again, boarding a helicopter to fly over some areas hardest hit by the historic floodwaters. Back on the ground VP Pence, along with Ricketts, Sasse and Bacon, made a stop to meet and talk with first responders with Waterloo Fire and Rescue. Pence called the area the "heart of the Heartland" and thanked the first responders for their diligent work.
Next up was a trip to a flood evacuation shelter at Elkhorn Middle School where the lawmakers met with flood victims and volunteers. While there, emotional flood victims greeted Pence and hugged him, some posing for photos with the Vice President. While at the shelter, Pence, Ricketts, Sasse and Bacon jumped in to help Red Cross volunteers serve dinner and stuff donation bags for a few minutes.
Before heading out of Nebraska, Pence said he would help expedite disaster declarations for Nebraska and Iowa when he returned to Washington.