Kansas Legislature extends disaster declaration in response to Wyandotte County storm

TOPEKA — Top leadership of the Kansas Legislature agreed to extend for one month until Oct. 4 a disaster declaration for Wyandotte County to support recovery from damage caused by strong winds, hail and rain during a severe August storm.

The Legislative Coordinating Council, which can act on behalf of the state when the Legislature wasn’t in session, voted unanimously Thursday to endorse the extension as crews continued to remove vegetive debris and support operations to reconnect basic services to businesses and homes.

Multiple rounds of thunderstorms and strong straight-line winds moved through the county the night of Aug. 18 and morning of Aug. 19, which prompted Gov. Laura Kelly’s emergency proclamation Aug. 21 that released state resources to the recovery effort.

She requested and the council agreed to extend the state proclamation supporting cleanup operations coordinated with the Unified Government of Wyandotte County.

Jonathan York, deputy director of Kansas Emergency Management Administration, said 32,000 cubic yards of debris had been removed from curbsides in Wyandotte County. That type of work was an estimated 75% complete, he said.

“Local public works assessment indicated that three to four additional weeks of operations remain as residents continue to move storm debris from private property,” he said.

York said repairs to the electrical grid had been finished. He said the Kansas Department of Transportation wrapped up its duties in the county on Wednesday, while the Kansas National Guard could begin to demobilize as early as Friday.

On Tuesday, York said, the U.S. Small Business Administration opened two loan centers in the county to support recovery activities associated with the storm.

During the Legislative Coordinating Council’s consideration of the motion authorizing the 30-day extension, questions were raised about progress toward dealing with debris and restoring electrical service.

Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, a Democrat from Johnson County, said that as of last week dozens of homes were without electricity and still had debris piled in yards.

“They can’t have the debris removal because the power lines are down,” Sykes said.

York said progress continued to be made on that work through the Unified Government of Wyandotte County, which leased three grappler trucks to speed removal of debris.