COLUMBIA — Boone County will receive more than $600,000 in federal reimbursement for public infrastructure repairs resulting from flooding in the spring.
President Donald Trump declared a major disaster in Missouri due to flooding that lasted from April 28 to May 11, according to previous Missourian reporting. Boone County wasn’t included at that time, but a preliminary assessment showed $750,000 in damage to public infrastructure, according to a news release from Boone County Emergency Management.
Most of the damage occurred in Finger Lakes State Park when a dam failed, said Tom Hurley, emergency management deputy director. A preliminary assessment found more than $400,000 in damage. Most of the other damage was to culverts, roads, bridges and trails in the southern part of the county, Hurley said.
Other agencies and municipalities eligible for reimbursement are:
- Boone County, Public Works and Facilities Maintenance
- City of Columbia, Street Division
- Missouri Department of Natural Resources
- University of Missouri
Jemerson Creek Road, Smith Hatchery Road and Richland Road were some of the roads that were damaged in the flood, Hurley said. The MKT and Katy trails were damaged between Scott Boulevard and McBaine Avenue, as well as Hinkson Creek Trail.
MU buildings and basements were also affected by the flooding, though most of the cost was the labor for water clean-up, said Hurley. Buildings damaged include the chemistry and physics buildings, Townsend Hall and the MU Student Center.
Although Finger Lakes State Park and MU are state assets, they are included in Boone County's flooding damage costs. The agencies are all eligible for reimbursement of 85 percent — 75 percent coming from the federal government and 10 percent from the state of Missouri.
"Virtually all repairs have already been made, so it’s already been paid for by the locals," Hurley said. "It’s important to be able to get the money back, not only for Boone County," but for taxpayers.
The last 15 percent will be paid for by the agencies that sustained the damage, Hurley said.
"It's important that Boone County be aggressive in securing federal funds when available," Presiding Boone County Commissioner Dan Atwill said in the news release. "Taxpayers would be responsible for the entire cost if this were not the case." Atwill said the events demonstrate the importance of extending a half-cent road and bridge tax that is up for renewal on the Aug. 8 ballot.
The last time a major disaster was declared in Boone County was in 2011 for winter storm damage, said Jordan Wright, mitigation and recovery specialist at Boone County Emergency Management.
Counties added to the original disaster declaration in addition to Boone County were Cape Girardeau, Mississippi, New Madrid and Scott counties.