As the people of Holt County continue to fight flood waters near towns in the western side of the county, the county budget is taking a strain after four floods in the last five years.

They started this year with the lowest cash-balance County Clerk Kathy Kunkel has seen since she was elected.

“We are really behind the eight ball on this,” Kunkel said.

Listen to Thursday’s KFEQ Journal with Kathy Kunkel by clicking play below.
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Last years flooding was historic, as was 1993, but Kunkel fears this years flood is the worst.  Waters continue to soak Big Lake and creep up on several other communities.  Big Lake has more than eight feet of water in some places, maybe more, Kunkel said.

Many buildings and  homes will likely need to be bulldozed in and rebuilt.  That is, if the people decide to come back.

County officials are hoping for state and federal assistance to help fight the flood, and rebuild once the waters recede sometime this fall.

“It’s absoluty the only lifeline we have left,” Kunkel said.

The county has several blows to it’s economy from the flooding.  More than 160,000 acre’s of farmland are underwater, Big Lake State Park and the Big Lake Village are closed leaving a budget gap from tourism and the Interstate north of Holt County is closed.

“There is no summer traffic what so ever,” Kunkel said.  “So all of my sales tax is going away at the same time.”

Above all, there’s one thing Kunkel said Holt County needs now more than anything.

“Prayers,” she laughed.  “Send them our way.”