Barton County Emergency Risk Management Director Amy Miller was contacted by the Kansas Division of Emergency Management this week in regards to the flooding damage from earlier this month.
A damage assessment team came to Barton County this past Wednesday and Thursday to evaluate the damages from the rainfall that dropped as much as 15 inches in the northern portion of the county.
Amy Miller Audio
A five-day period over October 5-9 caused many road closures including Highway 281 for nearly two days. The state’s damage assessment team gathers all the damage estimates to determine if it warrants a Presidential Disaster Declaration.
Amy Miller Audio
Miller anticipated the Kansas Division of Emergency Management would want to finish their meetings with all the counties that experienced damages by the end of next week. Miller stated the majority of Barton County’s damages and expenses came from debris clearance issues underneath bridges and water over the roads which moved gravel.
Miller turned in an initial report of more than $250,000 in damages in Barton County and now awaits word from the state.
Both the county and the state issued a Disaster Emergency Declaration for the heavy rains.