Governor Requests Federal Assistance For March Winter Storms

Gov. 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.

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.

“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.