Topeka, KS — As the federal government shutdown stretches into its second week, officials are warning that the Kansas City metro area could face increased flood risk due to halted operations and unavailable federal support.
Sarah White, board member of the Missouri and Associated Rivers Coalition, said the absence of federal workers is already impacting flood preparedness across the Kansas and Missouri river basins.
“Our flood response and preparedness relies on all levels of government — local, state, and federal,” White said. “With the shutdown, our federal partners may not be available, which exposes our community to flood risk and also slows response times for cleanup.”
Key Concerns About Federal Absence
White said the coalition works closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to support flood control, water quality, and environmental safety.
With the shutdown in effect, she said several critical processes are now delayed or at risk, including:
- Dam and levee inspections, which are required to ensure flood resilience.
- Environmental compliance reviews for waterway projects.
- Permitting processes for infrastructure and safety upgrades.
According to Kansas Reflector, White warned that reduced federal oversight could leave communities exposed at a time when the region historically experiences dangerous flooding.
“Two of the metro’s worst floods happened during the fall,” she said, referencing the September 1977 flood that killed 25 people and the October 1998 flood that caused 11 deaths.
Broader Impact on Kansas Families
White spoke at a virtual press conference alongside U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids (D-Kansas), Tim DeWeese of the Johnson County Mental Health Center, Haley Kottler of Kansas Appleseed, and Keely Schneider of Workforce Partnership in Kansas City, Kansas.
The panel addressed how the shutdown is affecting federal workers, small businesses, and families across Kansas. Davids said more than 25,000 federal employees in Kansas are currently without pay, while others face delays in Social Security, Medicare, and agriculture support programs.
“Kansans are frustrated, and rightfully so,” Davids said. “They want solutions and not more partisanship. A shutdown erodes trust. A shutdown stalls progress.”
She added that a bipartisan solution is the only way forward, warning that Affordable Care Act premiums could rise by 70% if health care subsidies are not restored.
Food and Mental Health Programs Under Strain
Haley Kottler, who directs anti-hunger advocacy at Kansas Appleseed, said the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program could face disruption if the shutdown continues.
“Families already living on the edge will have to face impossible choices,” Kottler said. “No senior should have to worry about politics that could take food off their plates.”
Kottler noted that over 200,000 Kansans currently rely on SNAP benefits and warned that funding uncertainty grows each day the government remains closed.
Meanwhile, Tim DeWeese, director of the Johnson County Mental Health Center, said the shutdown is having a direct impact on access to mental health services.
“When people lose income or food assistance, the likelihood of them experiencing a mental health crisis increases,” DeWeese said. “At the same time, the ability to access care becomes even more limited.”
Political Stalemate Continues
Nine days into the shutdown, Congress remains at an impasse. Republicans and Democrats have yet to agree on a stopgap funding bill to reopen the government. Davids said the failure to compromise is hurting families and small businesses alike.
“My top priority right now is getting the government back open as quickly as possible,” Davids said. “But we can also walk and chew gum — I’m working to make sure Kansans don’t get hit with skyrocketing health care costs.”
As Kansas City enters the fall flood season, local leaders warn that continued federal inaction could leave the region dangerously unprepared.
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