A state of local disaster emergency could be declared for Kansas in the aftermath of wind, rains storms and flooding that raked the area June 25-28 and June 30-July 4, Barton County Emergency Management Director Amy Miller told county commissioners Monday morning. Now, the state is wanting damage estimates from all 105 counties.
The deadline for the entities to report damage is 10 a.m. on Friday, July 15. “That will give me time to put together the numbers and forward the information to the Kansas Division of Emergency Management,” Miller said.
Miller said there are damage dollar amount thresholds that have to be met at the county and state level. But, if the numbers add up and the paperwork is in order, KDEM will submit the information to Federal Emergency Management Agency which will make the final determination.
“Please keep the damage information separate for the two incident periods at this time,” Miller said. Her message was aimed at townships, school boards and cities in the county,as well as the county as a whole.
If an entity sustained damages, she asked that the costs incurred be submitted for any of the following categories:
• Debris removal
- To eliminate an immediate threat to lives, public health and safety
- To eliminate immediate threats of significant damage to improved public or private property
- To ensure the economic recovery of the affected community to the benefit of the community-at-large
- To mitigate the risk to life and property by removing substantially damaged structures and associated appurtenances as needed to convert property acquired through a FEMA hazard mitigation program to uses compatible with open space, recreation, or wetlands management practices
• Emergency protective measures
- Warning devices (barricades, signs, and announcements)
- Search and rescue
- Construction of temporary levees
- Provision of shelters or emergency care
- Sandbagging
- Bracing/shoring damaged structures
- Provision of food, water, ice and other essential needs
- Emergency repairs
- Removal of health and safety hazards
• Damages to roads and bridges (federal aid roads are not eligible)
• Damages to water control facilities
• Damages to buildings and equipment
• Damages to utilities (private-not-for-profits)
- Damages to water treatment plants and delivery systems
- Damages to power generation and distribution facilities, including generators, substations, and power lines
- Damages to sewer collection systems and treatment plants
- Damages to telecommunications systems
• Damages to parks, recreational, facilities, and other items
- Damages to publicly-owned parks, playgrounds, pools, and cemeteries.
- Eligible publicly-owned facilities, including playground equipment, swimming pools, bath houses, tennis courts, boat docks, picnic tables and golf courses.
• Emergency Debris Removal
- May include regular time as well as overtime as an eligible expense.
• Damages to public infrastructure - roads, bridges, culverts, critical infrastructure/essential facilities
• Damages to publicly-owned buildings
• Damages to eligible private non-profits - hospitals, skilled care facilities, schools
• Be sure to obtain overtime hours, volunteer hours and equipment/equipment usage time for repairs.
Culvert and bridge damage Applicants will be required to submit maintenance records, yearly operating budgets and substantiate that damages claimed did occur during incident period. Pictures of damage prior to and after work has been completed are critical as the FEMA determines eligibility.
