Preliminary Damage Assessments have been completed in Kansas counties impacted by the severe ice storms that hit the state in December 2007. Those estimates place damages to public infrastructure at approximately $170,988,000. Of this amount, approximately $138 million is for damages to Kansas rural electric cooperatives and municipal utility infrastructures. These figures are likely to increase as more detailed disaster figures come in. This pushes the damages from all of the four federally-declared disasters to nearly $653 million.

In addition to the 37 counties named in the original Emergency Declaration EM-3282-KS that was originally granted on Dec. 12, 2007, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius requested that the following 29 counties be added to the declaration: Barber, Butler, Chase, Clark, Comanche, Douglas, Ellis, Ford, Gove, Graham, Hodgeman, Jewell, Kiowa, Lyon, Meade, Mitchell, Ness, Norton, Osage, Osborne, Phillips, Republic, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Sedgwick, Sheridan, Smith and Trego.

The state of Kansas and FEMA sent preliminary damage assessment teams across the state to survey damage caused by the ice storm which hit the state Dec. 10 and resulted in more than 130,000 customers losing power. The two-person teams, each made up of a state and FEMA representative, were sent to determine whether counties sustained enough damage to qualify for federal reimbursements for expenses such as debris clearing or emergency measures taken before and during the storm to protect the public. Damage to electric cooperatives was also assessed.

The 37 counties named in the original request are: Atchison, Barton, Brown, Cherokee, Clay, Cloud, Crawford, Dickinson, Doniphan, Edwards, Ellsworth, Geary, Harvey, Jackson, Jefferson, Kingman, Labette, Leavenworth, Lincoln, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Morris, Nemaha, Ottawa, Pawnee, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Reno, Rice, Riley, Saline, Shawnee, Stafford, Washington, Wabaunsee and Wyandotte.

Now that the assessments are complete, the state will determine which of the counties meet federal criteria for reimbursement and request assistance.

Sebelius issued a state disaster declaration which included all 105 counties. She then received a federal emergency declaration which provided direct federal assistance to any federal agency which helped the state and local governments with issues including bringing in generators, debris removal and clearing, and providing bottled water.