FEMA ASSESSING DAMAGE
Tuesday, October 5th, 2010 -- 11:47 AM
Officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency are touring Clark County this week, assessing damage from last month?s floods."We'll take a look at a significant number of the damages to verify the damages in the county," explains FEMA spokesperson Mike Wade.
The repairs to public roads and other infrastructure in Clark County are estimated to be close to $1-million.
FEMA may be able to help, but it's too early to tell. Assessment crews will turn their findings over to the Governor?s Office, who?ll likely pursue a Presidential Disaster Declaration.
"If a Presidential Disaster Declaration is approved, FEMA will come back in and work with the local communities, getting reimbursement for projects," Wade says.
FEMA has five teams assessing damage in the west central part of the state. Those teams hope to have their assessment done by Friday.
One of FEMA's first stops was the Town of Grant.
"We had 33 spots that were washed out. We have 28 bridges in the Town of Grant, pretty much everyone of them (had damage)," Chairman Ron Garbisch says.
They've already spread over 3,000 yards of gravel, and they still have more to do.
"Gravel's $8 a yard, that's almost $25,000. Then we lost some culverts, machine hires. You have to have a flagman, too. It all adds up," he laments.
That?s the bad news, the good news, Garbisch says, is neighbors helped neighbors deal with the floods. "We've got some good people in this Town," he says.
FEMA was touring the Clark County towns of Lynn, Granton, Hewett, Hendren and Dewhurst today. They?ll take a look at more towns tomorrow and Thursday.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.