(RILEY COUNTY, KS - June 12, 2022) Teams from the Riley County Appraiser’s Office and Manhattan Fire Department’s Risk Reduction Division are visiting neighborhoods today to perform damage assessments after last night’s storms. Downed power lines and large tree limbs have been the most reported damages.
Employees performing assessments will have official badges and identification. Please feel free to ask to see identification for anyone approaching your property.
No injuries resulting from last’s severe storms have been reported in Riley County.
The Riley County Public Works Facilities sustained significant damage. The Tuttle Creek River Pond campgrounds were also damaged and have been closed for the day. Last night, Manhattan's Risk Reduction Division declared five structures condemned and unsafe to occupy. The structures were located in the McCain neighborhood area east of the Kansas State University campus. The two unoccupied Greek houses, Chi Omega at 1516 McCain and Kappa Alpha Theta at 1517 McCain Lane, and three single family homes in the area were severely damaged. Residents in the single-family homes were displaced but did not require assistance.
A representative from the National Weather Service will also be visiting to perform an assessment of the storm damage in Riley County. No determination has yet been made of whether tornadic winds or straight winds were the cause.
Evergy is continuing to make repairs to downed power poles and restore power to customers. Anyone who needs medical assistance due to power outages should call 911 immediately. Please report any power outages directly to Evergy. Avoid any downed power lines and do not touch anything, such as a car, object, or equipment, that is in contact with a fallen power line. Keep children and pets away from fallen electric lines. Avoid driving over a fallen power line. Treat any traffic signal that may still be out or flashing red as a four-way stop.
The Riley County Transfer Station at 1881 Henton Road was opened today at 10:00 a.m. to allow people to dispose of tree limbs and other plant debris. There will be no charge for disposal. The station will remain open until at least 5:00 p.m. No roofing materials, siding, or other structural debris will be accepted. Contact your trash hauler for more information about how do safely dispose of structural debris.
Public Works Crews from Riley County, local townships, and the City of Manhattan will be working to remove storm debris from public roadways. For assistance disposing of tree limbs on private property, contact local tree service and landscape companies.
When cleaning storm debris remember to wear gloves, hard-soled shoes, and follow standard safety precautions when operating chainsaws and other power tools.
