President Donald Trump granted Gov. Sam Brownback’s request for a federal disaster declaration for 18 Kansas counties, including Barton, affected by a severe winter ice storm that struck the state Jan. 13-16, the Kansas Adjutant General’s Office announced Friday afternoon.
Brownback submitted his request through the Federal Emergency Management Agency Feb. 13.
“Basically, this means that there will be public assistance dollars for state, local, tribal and territorial governments and certain private-non-profit organizations for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities,” said Barton County Emergency Manager Amy Miller. This means rural electric cooperatives will also be eligible to receive funds.
Next week, Miller said the Kansas Division of Emergency Management will begin scheduling applicant briefings for Barton County and the other counties included in the declaration. “After a date is set for the meeting, I will then notify all possible applicants in Barton County of the briefing and the process will begin for the formal application for federal disaster assistance.”
Other counties named in the declaration are Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Ellsworth, Ford, Hodgeman, Jewell, Kiowa, Meade, Ness, Pawnee, Pratt, Rush, Seward, Sheridan, Stafford, and Trego. Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.
The declaration allows county governments to apply for Public Assistance funds for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities. It also activates the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program statewide for actions taken to prevent or reduce long term risk to life and property from natural hazards.
Robert J. Fenton, FEMA acting administrator, Department of Homeland Security, named Michael L. Parker as the federal coordinating officer for federal recovery operations in the affected areas.
Since the storm Jan. 13-16, Barton County Emergency Management has been working to gather damage figures from local entities. An initial dollar damage estimate was forwarded to KDEM Jan. 19.
The next step in the process was to hold meetings with KDEM, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and local governments to begin detailed accounting of the damages, and these were held earlier this month.
As a result of the storm, countless limbs crashed to the ground, thousands of residents left without electricity and travel became hazardous. This prompted the County Commission on Jan. 23 to sign a disaster declaration to start the ball rolling.
The Kansas Division of Emergency Management requested emergency management directors collect estimated damages throughout Kansas in an effort to obtain the declaration.
