Kansas City metro exposed to flood risk by government shutdown, official warns

Sarah White, a Missouri and Associated Rivers Coalition board member, appears by Zoom during an Oct. 9, 2025, news conference to talk about the government shutdown. She says the shutdown impacts the ability to prepare for, respond to and recover from a flood in the Kansas City metro area. (Kansas Reflector screen capture)

TOPEKA — A Missouri and Associated Rivers Coalition official says the federal government shutdown leaves the Kansas City metro area vulnerable to flooding.

Sarah White, a coalition board member, said the coalition works closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Federal Emergency Management Agency and Environmental Protection Agency to bring flood protection, water use and water quality projects to the Kansas and Missouri river basins.

“Our flood response and preparedness relies on all levels of government, local, state and federal,” White said. “With the shutdown, our federal partners may not be available, which exposes our community for flood risk and also slows the response times for cleanup.”

White, who talked to reporters at a virtual news conference Thursday about the effect of the shutdown, said the absence of federal support could impact the inspections of dams, levees and environmental compliance, and delay permits for critical projects.

She noted that two of the metro area’s worst floods happened during the fall. Flash flooding in September 1977 killed 25 people and severely damaged the Country Club Plaza. In October 1998, flash flooding along several creeks caused 11 deaths, mostly as vehicles were swept away.

White appeared at the news conference with U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas; Tim DeWeese, director of the Johnson County Mental Health Center; Haley Kottler, of Kansas Appleseed; and Keely Schneider, executive director of Workforce Partnership in Kansas City, Kansas. The spoke about consequences the federal government shutdown would have on Kansas families.

Nine days into the shutdown, Congress remains at an impasse. Republicans need Democrats’ support to pass a stopgap funding measure to reopen the government, but so far have refused Democrats’ demands to restore health care subsidies that were cut as part of the so-called “big, beautiful bill” over the summer.

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas, says the only way forward to end the government shutdown is to find a bipartisan solution. (Kansas Reflector screen capture)

Davids said more than 25,000 federal workers in Kansas were affected by the shutdown. She said small businesses rely on federal contracts, farmers face uncertainty with agriculture programs, and people who rely on Social Security and Medicare are struggling to access basic services.

“Kansans are frustrated, and rightfully so,” Davids said. “They want solutions and not more partisanship. A shutdown erodes trust. A shutdown stalls progress. A shutdown delays action on things that matter the most, like lowering costs, keeping families safe and improving our roads and bridges.”

She said a bipartisan solution would be required to end the shutdown — “it’s math.” And she said Affordable Care Act premiums will rise 70% if not restored.

“My top priority right now is getting the government back open as quickly as possible, but Congress can chew gum and walk at the same time, so I am also working to make sure that Kansans don’t get hit with skyrocketing health care costs,” Davids said.

Kottler, who directs anti-hunger advocacy at Kansas Appleseed, said she was concerned that a prolonged shutdown would have an impact on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, known as WIC.

She said more than 200,000 Kansans use SNAP short-term. Funding is in place to keep the benefits going for now, she said, but the longer the shutdown, the greater the uncertainty.

“Families already living on the edge will have to face impossible choices,” Kottler said. “No parent should be glued to the news to see if they to know if they will still have critical assistance. No senior should have to worry about politics that could take food off their plates, and no Kansas community should have to shoulder unnecessary burdens because families are left in limbo.”

DeWeese said the shutdown is threatening access to mental health services as local providers, such as the Johnson County Mental Health Center, depend on federal programs and grants. When those funds are delayed or uncertain, he said, providers may be forced to scale back services.

“When people lose income, when their housing is at risk, or they lose food assistance due to the shutdown, the likelihood of them experiencing a mental health crisis increases,” DeWeese said. “At the same time, the ability to access care becomes even more limited. This creates a dangerous cycle of instability and unmet need.”