12/28/2009

Washington County, which sustained nearly $12 million in damage from a mid-November snow storm, was among three Kansas counties that will receive federal money to help recover from the storm.
According to a news release from the Kansas Adjutant General’s Department, Republic County had $2 million in damage, and Marshall County $1 million.
Deborah Swoboda, coordinator for emergency management in Washington County, said a briefing is planned Jan. 12 to discuss qualifying expenses, such as repairs to utilities and roads and debris removal.
“We had a real wet snow that froze and became ice and knocked power lines down,” she said. “There were a lot of areas without power for several days.”
The news release stated that the money will come through FEMA’s Public Assistance Program, which assists areas with lower population to pay for disaster-related damages.
FEMA will reimburse 75 percent of losses incurred, and the state will reimburse an additional 10 percent through its hazard mitigation program.