News from
The Adjutant General's Department

CONTACT:
Sharon Watson
Director, Public Affairs Office
Work: (785) 274-1192
Cell: (785) 806-4063
http://www.Kansas.gov/ksadjutantgeneral

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE       March 6, 2008

No. 08-025

DECEMBER 2007 STORM DAMAGE CLIMBS TO $381 MILLION

INCREASE MOSTLY DUE TO ELECTRICAL LINE COSTS

Damage assessments for the December 2007 ice storm which impacted 65 Kansas counties have increased to approximately $381 million. The storm's damages are expected to make it the most expensive disaster in Kansas history and exceed the damages of the western Kansas storm in January 2007.

Initial assessments placed damages in the most recent storm at approximately $170,988,000 with $138 million of that total to Kansas Rural Electric Cooperatives and municipal utility infrastructures.

"Initial joint damage assessments calculated the costs to get the power back up as soon as possible to the effected residents," said Tom Hall, Federal Coordinating Officer (FEMA). "A more in-depth expert analysis to affect permanent repair increased the total cost estimates."

"The damage was not as visible early on in this storm as it was in the western Kansas storm where 21 transmission towers were knocked down," said Maj Gen Tod Bunting, Director of Kansas Division of Emergency Management and the Adjutant General. "In this storm, 59,000 meters, thousands of miles of electrical lines were brought down over a much larger area than before and as crews began the work to replace them it was determined there was a much greater impact than previously estimated by preliminary damage assessments."

"In addition, many of the lines were made of materials which are no longer available. While the new lines will be of better quality and provide more resistance to storms, they are a lot more expensive to replace, which accounts for much of the increase in the storm's costs," Bunting added.

"As we worked, we discovered more and more poles on the ground," said Bob Hall, general manager of the Ark Valley Electric Cooperative, Association, Inc., the hardest hit co-op in the state, with more than $50 million in losses and 998 miles of lines down. "As we found more and more miles of lines down, we kept calling for more help."

As utilities conducted initial damage assessments, they looked at the cost to turn on the power, but that did not incorporate the cost to restore the system to its original state. Many of the lines were built in the 1940s and to restore them to today's codes and standards will require new poles and new lines at a much greater expense.

"The new lines will be built to today's standards; therefore, it will be a more modern day system when it's done, one better able to withstand storms than before," Hall said. "In addition, rebuilding will result in contracts that bring an influx to the local economy."

Prior to the December 2007 ice storm, Kansas had already experienced three federally-declared disasters resulting in a total of more than $480 million in damages. The winter storm of January 2007 affected 44 western Kansas counties and resulted in $386 million dollars in expenses, while the Greensburg tornado in May and the northeast/north central flooding at the same time resulted in $70 million in reimbursable losses. Then the June 29 southeast Kansas flooding left more than $26 million in expenses. That leaves the state with more than $860 million in reimbursable losses in 2007, and the total could increase as the damage claims continue to be processed.

The storm which began Dec. 6, 2007 and continued through Dec. 19, 2007, caused six deaths. Two people were hospitalized due to contact with downed power lines, 11 others injured and more than 183,000 customers were without power at the height of the storms.
Shortly after the storm hit, Gov. Kathleen 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. On Feb. 1, President George W. Bush approved Sebelius' request for a federal disaster declaration for counties impacted by the severe ice storms. This ensured the local governments and certain non-profit organizations could apply for FEMA's Public Assistance Program which reimburses for expenses related to the following: emergency protective measures, debris removal, repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities including roads and bridges, water systems, buildings, equipment, utilities, parks and recreation facilities and other items.

The following 65 counties are eligible for the Public Assistance Program reimbursements: Atchison, Barber, Barton, Brown, Butler, Chase, Cherokee, Clark, Clay, Cloud, Comanche, Crawford, Dickinson, Doniphan, Edwards, Ellis, Ellsworth, Ford, Geary, Gove, Graham, Harvey, Hodgeman, Jackson, Jefferson, Jewell, Kingman, Kiowa, Labette, Leavenworth, Lincoln, Logan, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Miami, Mitchell, Morris, Nemaha, Osage, Osborne, Ottawa, Pawnee, Phillips, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Reno, Republic, Rice, Riley, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Saline, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Sheridan, Smith, Stafford, Thomas, Wabaunsee, Wallace, Washington, and Woodson.

The governor also received approval for Hazard Mitigation for all 105 counties. This allows the counties to apply for reimbursement for cost-effective actions taken to prevent or reduce the threat of future damage to a facility.

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