Lyon County Emergency Management Director Jarrod Fell says the county’s Highway Department spent about $140,000 in personnel, equipment and materials costs as a direct result of the Jan. 4-5 winter storm that is still having some impact across the KVOE listening area.
Having said that, Fell does not expect any federal funding for Lyon County if the state gains a major disaster designation currently being sought by Kansas Governor Laura Kelly.
On KVOE’s Newsmaker segment Tuesday, Fell said winter storms are different from other disasters — including severe weather and grass fires — when it comes to mutual aid from nearby counties because of widespread travel issues often associated with winter weather.
The stubborn snowpack in Emporia’s residential areas is finally losing its grip this week as high temperatures continue around 50 degrees, following an ice-and-snow event Jan. 4-5. Fell says Lyon County’s smaller communities dealt with similar conditions for a while this month, but Highway Department crews were able to get up to 60 percent of county roads to at least one-lane access within 24 hours after the storm left the area.
