Flood Damage Tallied More Than $12 Million Needed To Repair Idaho Roads, Bridges

Idaho counties and Indian reservations face an estimated $12.6 million in flood damage to roads, bridges and other public property.

Latah County got hit the hardest, according to the Idaho Bureau of Disaster Services.

Coordinating officer Gary Davis emphasized that the estimates are preliminary. Teams of federal, state and local inspectors must visit all the sites before costs are final.

“These numbers are going to change,” Davis said Wednesday. “More than likely, they’re going to go up.”

The federal government will provide 75 percent of the cost of repairs from the Feb. 9-10 floods.

However, Gov. Phil Batt has asked President Clinton to increase that help to 90 percent. He pointed out that many of the afflicted counties already are hard-hit by high unemployment.

On Wednesday, the Idaho House of Representatives approved a bill increasing gasoline taxes to help counties pay for flood damage.

That would raise an estimated $6 million. The Legislature also is considering a bill that would allow disaster-stricken counties to exceed the 3 percent cap on property tax increases.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Graphic: Idaho’s flood aid