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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 21, 2009 No. 09-049 GOVERNOR REQUESTS FEDERAL ASSISTANCE FOR MARCH WINTER STORMSGov. Mark Parkinson has submitted a request to the president for federal assistance to defray costs associated with the response to and recovery from the severe winter storms that struck the state during the period March 26 to 29, 2009. In a letter to Art Freeman, acting regional director for FEMA Region VII, Parkinson detailed actions taken by state and local emergency response agencies to the severe storms that blanketed large areas of the state with as much as 30 inches of snow, accompanied by strong winds, sleet, ice and drifts of up to 20 feet. The storms resulted in widespread power outages, road closures and some building collapses. Then-governor Kathleen Sebelius signed a State of Disaster Emergency declaration for 62 counties. Preliminary Damage Assessments place damages in excess of $18.6 million in the affected counties. The counties hardest hit were Butler, which sustained more than $5 million in damages; Cowley, $2.2 million; and Greenwood, $1.9 million. Parkinson requested federal Public Assistance (all categories of work including emergency protective measures, debris removal and infrastructure repair) for Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Coffey, Cowley, Dickinson, Elk, Grant, Greenwood, Harvey, Lyon, Marion, Sumner and Woodson Counties. He also requested emergency assistance for snow removal under the Public Assistance program (emergency protective measures) for Barber, Barton, Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Grant, Haskell, Kearney, Kingman, Kiowa, McPherson, Meade, Pratt, Reno, Rice, Seward, Stafford, Stanton and Stevens Counties. In addition, he requested funding for the Hazard Mitigation Program statewide. “Just when we thought winter was over, the state was hit pretty hard,” said Parkinson. “This federal assistance will help ease some of the financial burden these counties incurred from the storms.” Public Assistance refers to money that is used to restore public infrastructure, such as roads, bridges and utilities, and for associated recovery costs, such as debris removal from public roads. The Hazard Mitigation Program funds projects that are designed to eliminate or reduce the impact of disasters to a community, such as flood control measures.-30- Follow the Kansas Adjutant General’s Department on Twitter at http://twitter.com/KSAdjutantGen |
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