Last Updated 08/08/2024 at 8:41 a.m.
By NATE KING
Salina Post
At its Tuesday meeting, The Saline County Commission passed a local disaster emergency proclamation for Saline County. The declaration was proposed following the destructive thunder/wind storm on July 31.
The proclamation reads, "WHEREAS on July 31, the Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners of Saline County, Kansas, declared that certain weather conditions have caused, or will eminently threaten to cause widespread or severe damage, injury, or loss of life or property in disaster proportion in Saline County, Kansas; WHEREAS, such conditions have created obstructions that endanger the health, safety, and welfare of persons and property within the borders of Saline County, Kansas."
Saline County Board of Commissioners Chairman Joe Hay Jr. commended Saline County Emergency Management Michelle Weis for her team's response.
"I want to really commend the emergency management. I want to commend the first responders, the people who stepped forward," Said Hay. "You're talking about a community that pulled together during this time. There was a lot of damage out there, and a lot of people were displaced. We thank the Red Cross and the people there for the food given out that day. So thank you guys very much."
Weis said emergency management has four chainsaw teams deployed to clear debris, with assistance from the Saline County Road and Bridge department, which provided heavy equipment and trucks to speed up cleanup operations.
READ MORE: 📸 UPDATED: Thousands of Salinans lose power, storm damage photos
Despite significant debris at each site, volunteers have addressed 35 of the 125 homes on the assistance list.
Next steps
Commissioner Robert Vidricksen II asked Weis how the timeline would work in order to get Gov. Laura Kelly's signature.
"I noticed that Governor Kelly has applied for federal aid for 13 counties," Vidricksen said. "Has there been any notification from the governor's office that Saline County is one of those 13 counties?"
Weis said it is typical for the governor to "lump together" weather events in one declaration.
"When the governor makes a disaster declaration, she lumps in several weather events in one declaration. We've provided our numbers and our initial assessment to the state of Kansas, and we have already met our threshold so far, just through debris pickup and the damage done to the airport."
Weis said it will take a couple of weeks in order for that process to occur.
READ MORE: Saline County re-opens debris cleanup assistance list
"They'll consult with the northeast regions that were also hit by this storm, and they will then basically wait to see if Mother Nature has another round of storms that she would like to provide the state of Kansas, and if there's significant damage there, they'll lump that in under one declaration," Weis said.
Weis said FEMA considers multiple factors when recommending to the President the provision of public assistance under a Major Presidential Disaster Declaration.
These factors include:
1.) Estimated cost of assistance – FEMA evaluates the estimated cost of federal and non-federal public assistance against the statewide population to give some measure of the per capita impact within the state.
2.) Localized impacts—FEMA evaluates the disaster's impact—FEMA evaluates the disaster's impact at the local, county, state, and tribal levels of government.
3.) Insurance coverage in force – FEMA considers the amount of insurance coverage that is in force or should have been in force as required by law and regulation at the time of the disaster and reduces the amount of anticipated assistance by that amount.
4.) Hazard mitigation – FEMA considers the extent to which state and local government measures contributed to reducing disaster damages.
5.) Recent multiple disasters – FEMA also considers the disaster history within the last 12-month period to better evaluate the overall impact on governmental entities.
6.) Programs of other federal assistance – FEMA also considers programs of other federal agencies (US Army Corps of Engineers, Federal Highway Administration, etc.) because, at times, those assistance programs more appropriately meet the needs created by the disaster.
For the state and counties impacted by a disaster to qualify for public assistance, counties affected must declare and have a signed local state of disaster emergency and meet or exceed their per capita cost indicator.
Saline County's per capita cost must meet $249,793.80. The state per capita cost is $508,253,240.
Damages (updated)
Among the many businesses impacted by the storm, The Salina Airport Authority facilities sustained significant damages, estimated at $150,000. According to Saline County Emergency Management, the damages include:
⦁ Roof, gutter, and exterior trim damage to the MJ Kennedy Air Terminal Building, which also resulted in interior office water damage
⦁ Downed trees, necessitating man hours for debris cleanup
⦁ Downed power lines and power surges that damaged HVAC units
⦁ Exterior siding damage to warehouses and aircraft hangars
⦁ Roof leaks on aircraft hangars
⦁ Damage to aircraft hangar doors
According to the K-State Salina Communications Office, approximately $500,000 in roof damage was sustained during the storm.
Nancy Schuessler with the City of Salina said no city structures were seriously damaged. She said there were a few minor leaks in buildings. Schuessler did say a city vehicle had a tree fall ontop of it resulting in approximately $4,000 in damage.
READ MORE: UPDATED: City of Salina announces tree limb pick-up clarification
"It was absolutely amazing to see neighbors come through and help those that were unable to pick up their tree limbs," Weis said. "Whether they had a chainsaw or just the physical ability to move limbs. It was very heartwarming to see."
The commission unanimously approved the resolution, enacting a seven-day disaster declaration to facilitate ongoing recovery efforts and support.
Salina Post will update this story as new information becomes available.