As many Ellinwood residents continued their soggy clean-up and area farmers dealt with the muddy aftermath following Sunday’s flooding, the Barton County Commission Monday morning approved a disaster declaration covering the entire county.
The action makes it easier for utility company employees to get overtime should there be problems with power and gas lines, makes it easier for residents to volunteer without ramifications from their employers and opens the door to assistance from other counties and state agencies, said Amy Miller, the county’s emergency management director.
The declaration reads: “that certain conditions have caused, or eminently threaten to cause wide-spread or severe damage, injury or loss of life or property in disaster proportion.” It goes on to read that the county: “within its borders experienced conditions which created obstructions that endangered the health, safety and welfare of persons and property.”
Miller said she was going to start her preliminary damage assessment Monday. The brunt of the flooding was felt in Ellinwood which received nearly nine inches of rain Sunday and in the southeastern corner of the county.
In the area, she said there were wide-spread incidents of water and/or mud on roadways, choked ditches and culverts, and debris threatening bridges. The Arkansas River rose two feet and there was water flowing in the Great Bend flood control channel.

A flood’s timeline
County Administrator Richard Boeckman said calls from folks reporting flooding started pouring in early Sunday morning, and by 4:30 a.m., the Communications Office had both the night and day shifts on duty. By 5:30, Road and Bridge Department crews were out and about and by 6:30, the Sheriff’s Office had trustees in Ellinwood helping to fill sandbags.
Sand and sandbags were made available to Great Bend residents Sunday morning at the county lot on South Washington. However, the emphasis was soon shifted to Ellinwood.
A bundle of 2,000 bags was delivered to Ellinwood.
There are still sandbags available at the Communications Office. Sand is available at the county’s lot on South Washington across from Stone Lake.
The damaged cased by the water was extensive, said Sheriff Brian Bellendir. There were basements flooded and vast swatches of farm ground submerged.
“Sometimes it doesn’t look like much when you drive by,” said commission Chairman Don Cates. But, to those who experienced the loss, it is significant.
Ellinwood resident Howard Rogers addressed the commission with concerns about the Ellinwood flooding and the fact that the town has experienced two “100-year” events since 2007. He asked if the county has any long-range plans in place to solve the problem.
The short answer was no. Boeckman said county crews have and continue to clean ditches to help with water flow, but that only goes so far.
Most of the run-off from the area north and west of Ellinwood flows to that community. What would be needed, county officials said, would be a massive project like that which protects Great Bend to divert water to the Arkansas River.
This would require involvement of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, time and a lot of money.
Perhaps, they said, it may be time for such discussions, but they would have to start with the City of Ellinwood.

Ellinwood
“All the water is down since midnight,” as of Monday afternoon, said Ellinwood City Administrator Robert Peter. “We’ve got a pump running on the north.” The north side of town had the heaviest accumulations.
There are reports that the city received 6-8 inches in a few hours. Peter pressed concern because more rain is predicted and the surrounding creeks are full and the soil saturated.
He said there was  one report so far of water reaching the first floor, but many reports of water in the basement.
“We’re hoping to get through night without rain,” said Peter. There have been lots of sewer back ups. Peter said that sewer back up preventers are available and are a relatively simple fix.
He said that the fix is a flood control project. “It’s a major, major expense,” Peter said. “It will have a major impact on taxes.
“I think we need to have an engineering study,” said Peter.
The school district will be making bathroom and shower facilities available at the high school during regular business hours on and Tuesday, Aug. 6.  Additional dates will be made available if necessary.  This will allow people who are being affected by the flooding to have access to facilities.
 Large trash dumpsters for flooded materials have been set up on the west side of the City  Shop for public use.
The city requests reporting flood damage to 620-564-3161.

Hoisington
City Manager Jonathan Mitchell reported that there was not much flooding. “We’ve been pretty fortunate. We’re in pretty decent shape.”
However, “it came down so quick storm sewers were struggling.”
The sewage lagoons, which the city recently learned had incorrect plumbing, will have to be discharged in the near future, Mitchell said.

Claflin
Claflin is fine with no reports of flooding.
According to the National Weather Service, a flood warning remains in place for Russell, Lincoln and Barton counties through 11 a.m. today as thunderstorms remained in the forecast through the evening Monday and into Tuesday morning.