April 14, 2006

Presidential Declaration authorized for two counties
Governor’s request for federal assistance will help Kansas counties recover from severe storms March 12

Topeka, Kan. - Governor Kathleen Sebelius today announced that President George W. Bush declared a major disaster declaration for two Kansas counties affected by the severe storms that struck Northeast Kansas on March 12, 2006.

Governor Sebelius declared a State of Disaster Emergency and sent a letter to the president asking for federal assistance to restore damaged state and local infrastructure in Douglas and Wyandotte Counties.

The preliminary damage estimate exceeded $5.5 million. Of that total, damages in Douglas County exceeded $5 million with more than half a million dollars in Wyandotte County.

“This is good news for our state,” said Sebelius. “We hope it will help things return to normal for those impacted in these counties.”

The preliminary assessments indicated the most severe impacts to state and local infrastructure included power line, utility poles, debris removal, school buildings, vehicle damage and state-owned facilities. The state and local shares of the eligible costs are estimated to exceed $1.4 million.

Initial damage reports at Kansas University indicated damage to about 60 percent of the campus buildings at more than $4 million.

In addition to authorizing assistance to restore damage to state and local infrastructure, the declaration also activates the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program for the entire state, which gives assistance to state and local governments for actions taken to prevent or reduce long term risk to life and property from natural or technological hazards.

The Governor asked for this assistance under Section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief Emergency Assistance Act, Public Law 288, as amended, and implemented by 44 CFR Part 206.36 (d). The damage includes such things as public buildings and debris removal. Federal funds provided by the Stafford Act are limited to 75 percent of the total eligible costs in the designated areas.