A massive irrigation tunnel that collapsed last July due to severe weather will be covered by federal crop insurance, officials revealed.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently issued a statement regarding the insurance coverage of the tunnel. The department also revealed that the tunnel fell apart due to heavy precipitation. Earlier investigations suspected that snowfall saturated the ground above the tunnel, placing extra weight on the tunnel’s structure and priming it for collapse.
The 14-foot-wide tunnel that collapsed July 17 is part of a system which provides water to farmers in both western Nebraska and eastern Wyoming. The Associated Press reported that the tunnel’s collapse cut off water to over 100,000 acres in both states. The collapse prompted the governors of both states to declare an emergency, freeing up resources to aid local officials and farmers.
USDA also called for farmers affected by the tunnel collapse to contact their insurance agents to file a claim.
