Feb 18, 2022

Biden approves Kan. disaster declaration for December 15 storms

Posted Feb 18, 2022 11:00 AM
A wall of dust moving east from 13 miles S of Sharon Springs at the Wallace/Greeley county line at 10:30a.m. Dec. 15, 2021-photo courtesy National Weather Service Goodland
A wall of dust moving east from 13 miles S of Sharon Springs at the Wallace/Greeley county line at 10:30a.m. Dec. 15, 2021-photo courtesy National Weather Service Goodland

WASHINGTON —On Thursday, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Kansas and ordered Federal assistance to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storms and straight-line winds on December 15, 2021, according to a statement from the White House.

Federal funding is available to state, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms and straight-line winds in the counties of Barton, Brown, Clay, Cloud, Doniphan, Edwards, Ellis, Ellsworth, Ford, Geary, Gove, Graham, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Hamilton, Haskell, Hodgeman, Jewell, Kearny, Lane, Lincoln, Logan, Marshall, Meade, Mitchell, Morris, Morton, Nemaha, Ness, Osborne, Ottawa, Pawnee, Republic, Rice, Riley, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Saline, Scott, Sheridan, Smith, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens, Sumner, Trego, Wabaunsee, Wallace, Washington, Wichita, and Wyandotte.

Storm damage in Ellis County on December 15
Storm damage in Ellis County on December 15

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Deanne Criswell, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named DuWayne Tewes as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.

Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.