Kansas Counties Awaiting Federal Funds to Fix Damage

Several flood-plagued Kansas counties are hoping temporary repairs to roads and bridges can withstand autumn rains until federal funds are available for more permanent fixes.

Gov. Sam Brownback last week requested a federal disaster declaration for 47 counties because of storm damage and flooding that hit much of Kansas between July 22 and Aug. 16. The governor said some of those counties received as much as five times their normal amount of rainfall.

Harvey County emergency management director Lon Buller told The Wichita Eagle flooding was so widespread at one point that you couldn’t drive across his county without going through some water.

Buller says some townships have as little as $10,000 in their budgets to make repairs but more than $200,000 worth of damage.