Seven counties with flooding added to earlier state disaster declaration

Several areas at Perry Lake have been closed because of flooding that is expected through the weekend. “Many roads have been closed,” Jason Hurley, Perry Lake park manager, said in the release. “Closed locations are marked with gates or barricades. Please do not drive around any of these barriers as they are in place for everyone’s safety and to reduce further damages to the area. The marinas and Perry State Park are currently open and we encourage visitors to contact those facilities for any changes.”

The release said the Corps of Engineers will continue to monitor the flooding and assess the need to release water from Perry Lake Dam.

Jefferson County, where Perry Lake is located, was added Wednesday to the list of counties under a state disaster declaration necessitated by widespread flooding. Seven counties were added Wednesday to an earlier state disaster declaration after widespread flooding occurred this week in northeast, east-central and southeast Kansas, officials said.

In addition to Jefferson, the other counties included Wednesday in the disaster declaration were Chautauqua, Clay, Comanche, Coffey, Franklin and Montgomery counties, said Jane Welch, spokeswoman for the state’s Adjutant General’s Department.