HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) Residents near a levee in an unincorporated section of Hutchinson are concerned about the condition of the levee, which both the city and the county have said they won’t pay to improve.
The city voted last year to improve and recertify levees along the Arkansas River and Cow Creek, with the exception of Ring Levee C, which protects the unincorporated section of Hutchinson. The Hutchinson News reports that Reno County has also declined to fund the estimated $570,000 in repairs.
Federal Emergency Management Agency also plans to remap and reaccredit area levees in 2013, which may mean area residents will have to buy flood insurance.
Ken Ebmeier, who lives near the levee, says residents want to know what’s going to happen and are concerned about their property values.