July 18, 2007

Kansas was heavily impacted by flooding that began June 26

President Bush declared nine Kansas counties - Elk, Miami, Montgomery, Neosho, Wilson, Allen, Cowley, Labette and Linn - eligible for federal individual disaster assistance

Flooding inundated the community of Coffeyville, KS, with an estimated 1,700 barrels of crude oil, when holding facilities broke at the Coffeyville Resources refinery

6,300 Coffeyville homes affected, 53 businesses. A state assessment team is determining which homes are salvageable and which must be destroyed. Recovery progress depends on the assessment team's work.

Vulnerable communities watch

The declared counties represent some of Kansas' poorest, with poverty levels as high as 20.6 percent (per 2000 U.S. Census)

Significant pollution from heavy metals mining remains in southeastern Kansas communities

CWS response

CWS is making a small shipment of 125 Hygiene Kits and 100 School Kits to the First Christian Church in Independence, KS; this follows another shipment early this week of 100 Clean-up Buckets and 100 Hygiene Kits to First Christian Church in Coffeyville

CWS anticipates issuing an appeal to cover training and projects throughout the theater of this disaster

CWS will forward future information as received from the local recovery effort or national response agencies

Media Contact: Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676; lcrosson@churchworldservice.org