Johnson County requests FEMA funding after damaging summer storms

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Relief could be on the way for Johnson County towns affected by this summer’s storms. Last week, the governor requested a major disaster declaration from FEMA.

“The July storm was pretty impactful for us,” said Johnson County Director of Emergency Management Dan Robeson.

The aftermath of July’s storms cost the county more than $2.7 million worth of damages. According to Robeson, it’s been six years since the county has seen storm damage of this magnitude. He says this makes the local government eligible for the FEMA public assistance program.

“In that situation, there was much more significant flooding that impacted a lot more buildings. In this situation most of the costs were related to debris removal,” said Robeson.

He says the damage ranges from building impacts to debris management. A portion of the funds would also cover the costs of overtime for first responders, and the installation of additional traffic lights during power outages.

On a statewide level, Kansas sustained at least $5.2 million worth of damage.

“I think storms like this are a reminder to everybody to make sure that we stay safe and make sure that we invest in preparedness activities in our homes and our neighborhoods and organizations to make sure that we’re all as prepared as we need to be for emergencies and disasters,” said Robeson.

Robeson says Johnson County did not meet the criteria for residents to receive individual assistance from FEMA. He says this is determined based on casualties, missing people, and injuries.

Johnson County is waiting on authorization for the funding.

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