By Trish Svoboda

The Kansas Division of Emergency Management has submitted a request to FEMA to execute Joint Public Assistance Program Preliminary Damage Assessments across eight counties in Kansas. Staff from both KDEM and FEMA Region VII will evaluate the damage caused by severe thunderstorms, which included large hail, destructive straight-line winds, tornadoes, and heavy rainfall leading to flooding, all occurring between April 25 and April 30.

The request includes the following counties: Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Cherokee, Greenwood, Morris, Neosho, and Pottawatomie. More counties may be incorporated into this request once the incoming damage assessment data from these counties has been confirmed. The teams will be examining the damage to public infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and utilities, to ascertain if the extent of the damage is sufficient to qualify for federal Public Assistance.

“This is the first step in the process,” said Angee Morgan, deputy director of the Kansas Division of Emergency Management. “When we have an accurate picture of the total amount of damages, and if these damages are eligible and meet the federal thresholds, the state will submit a request to the president for federal Public Assistance help for reimbursements to the county.”