Driving Nebraska’s Flood Recovery: From Strategic Planning to Long-Term Impact

Project Overview

In 2020, the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) engaged Hagerty to support long-term disaster recovery following Winter Storm Ulmer—a federally declared disaster that caused extensive flooding and damage across urban and rural communities. During the initial planning phase, we worked with state leadership to assess disaster impacts, identify unmet recovery needs, and prepare Nebraska for the deployment of federal recovery funding. The United States (US) Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) subsequently awarded the state $108.9 million in Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding to address unmet needs across housing, infrastructure, economic revitalization, and mitigation.

Building on this foundation, Hagerty partnered with DED to develop a HUD-approved Unmet Needs Assessment (UNA) and Action Plan. This work transformed data, community input, and recovery priorities into actionable, fundable programs. By leveraging federal, state, and local data sources, we helped establish a compliant, data-driven recovery framework that prioritized investments and enabled efficient delivery across diverse communities.

Following HUD’s approval and the transition to full program implementation in mid-2021, Hagerty continued supporting Nebraska through program development, management, and long-term grant administration. Working alongside DED, Hagerty designed and operationalized a portfolio of recovery programs, including:

• Affordable and multi-family housing development
• Homeownership production
• Infrastructure recovery
• Matching funds programs supporting the Federal Emergency Management Agency‘s (FEMA) Public Assistance (PA), Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), and non-FEMA match needs

The team provided hands-on technical assistance across application intake, underwriting, environmental review, financial management, construction oversight, compliance monitoring, and subrecipient management. As programs progressed, Hagerty also supported closeout planning and documentation to ensure audit readiness and long-term stewardship of CDBG-DR funds.

Understanding the Mission

From the outset, Nebraska required a strategy that addressed long-term recovery needs—primarily in the eastern portion of the state—while meeting HUD’s requirement that funds primarily benefit low- and moderate-income (LMI) populations. Hagerty supported DED in defining the full scope of disaster impacts through a comprehensive UNA that integrated FEMA, Small Business Administration (SBA), HUD, Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping, and local data sources. This data-driven approach enabled the state to:

• Quantify unmet needs across housing, infrastructure, economic recovery, and resilience
• Target federal funding, including CDBG-DR resources, where it would have the greatest impact
• Prioritize recovery assistance for LMI households and vulnerable populations
• Leverage multiple funding sources to reduce local cost burdens
• Invest in resilient infrastructure to mitigate future flood risk

In addition to identifying needs, Nebraska’s mission required balancing urgency with accountability. The state needed to deploy significant federal funding quickly while navigating complex HUD requirements, coordinating multiple funding streams, and supporting communities with varying administrative capacity. Success depended not only on strong program design but on establishing a recovery framework that aligned policy, compliance, and community priorities from the outset.

The Hagerty Approach

Hagerty served as DED’s comprehensive CDBG-DR program management and technical assistance partner, supporting recovery from planning through implementation. Our key services included:

• Development and HUD approval of Nebraska’s CDBG-DR UNA and Action Plan
• Ongoing Action Plan amendments aligned with evolving recovery needs and HUD requirements
• End-to-end program design, including eligibility criteria, application workflows, underwriting standards, and compliance requirements
• Program management, including application intake, eligibility determinations, award processing, contract administration, and system of record (SOR) management
• Compliance oversight aligned with HUD’s CDBG-DR Notices, 2 CFR 200, and cross-cutting federal requirements
• Financial management, budgeting, and cost reasonableness support
• Risk-based monitoring, internal controls, and corrective action guidance
• Environmental reviews compliant with 24 CFR Part 58
• Subrecipient management and capacity-building for state agencies, municipalities, and nonprofit partners

To strengthen statewide delivery, Hagerty worked closely with DED to streamline policies, procedures, and reporting processes. This approach expedited application intake and eligibility determinations to ensure consistency, transparency, and audit readiness across all funded activities.

Achieving Results

Since the start of the engagement, Hagerty has supported Nebraska in delivering compliant, timely, and impactful recovery programs across flood-impacted regions.

As of April 2026, key outcomes include:

• 16 multi-family Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) projects, supporting approximately 781 affordable housing units, with $32 million committed
• 229 infrastructure and match projects, with $43 million committed to FEMA PA, HMGP, and standalone recovery initiatives
• Three homeownership production projects, supporting the construction of 15 new homes
• Ongoing support for 12 subrecipients and more than 60 municipalities and special districts statewide

This work has strengthened local capacity to design and implement FEMA PA, HMGP, and non-FEMA match programs while advancing resilient infrastructure investments.

Hagerty has supported Nebraska’s CDBG-DR implementation through technical assistance, compliance oversight, and closeout planning. These efforts have helped strengthen infrastructure, address remaining unmet needs, and position the state for long-term community resilience.