FEBRUARY 24, 2015
ANTHONY, KANSAS
Age, along with the area’s frequent earthquakes, has caused
more than $1.1 million in damage to Harper County’s courthouse.
An insurance adjuster with earthquake damage experience was
in town about 10 days ago to assess concerns regarding the courthouse’s outside
staircases, as well as to inspect cracks vining across interior walls in the
southeast part of the structure, said County Clerk Cheryl Adelhardt.
Because of dilapidation due to age, county commissioners
were planning to renovate the 107-year-old staircases – a project estimated at
$400,000 by an engineer a year ago, said County Commissioner Carla Pence.
With a $200,000 historical tax credit helping pay half the
costs, commissioners weren’t too concerned about the bill at that time, Pence
said.
But as tremors continue to plague Harper County and its
county seat of Anthony, county officials are able to show through photos that
the damage has intensified over time. The latest estimate showed it would take
$1.1 million to repair the stairs – which are thought to have worsened due to
the frequent quakes.
“We think possibly some of it could be from the
earthquakes,” Adelhardt said. “We have seen the splits and cracks get larger.”
Meanwhile, a ceiling crack in a courtroom – also thought to
be caused by the quakes – is estimated at $35,000.
It’s the most significant damage so far in the county from
the constant rumblings, which were a rare occurrence until a few years ago.
However, in 2014, the county experienced more than 100 earthquakes.
Most were below 3.0 in magnitude. A few have been larger,
including one in October that registered 4.3 in magnitude and cracked walls in
two of the county’s Catholic churches. Another 4.9 in November damaged a bell
tower at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Harper.
South-central Kansas had roughly 20 earthquakes in January,
the largest 3.9 in magnitude on Jan. 19. More continued through February, with
Pence noting she felt several over the weekend.
A 2.8-magnitude quake was reported 12 kilometers south of
Caldwell on Monday morning.
Scientists like Rex Buchanan, interim director of the Kansas
Geological Survey, believe the surge of quakes is tied to human activity from
the oil and gas industry.
As earthquakes continue to shake the courthouse, Adelhardt
said the adjuster did inspect the entire courthouse for damage. Most of the
interior cracks were found in rooms in the southeast part of the courthouse,
including a vacant room that once housed the county’s Extension Office.
The adjuster, however, has not released any reports, to
date, said Adelhardt. Seismic detectors continue to measure certain cracks to
see if they are getting bigger.
The county does have earthquake insurance, which has a
$5,000 deductible per incident. Adelhardt said she didn’t know how that would
work, since there has been more than one “incident.”
Work has begun on the staircase, which includes adding a
ramp, Adelhardt said.
Pence said county officials met with Kansas Corporation
Commissioner Pat Apple last week about the damage and the earthquakes.
However, Apple, while saying the agency continues to work on
the problem, couldn’t offer county leaders a timetable regarding action or
solutions, Pence said.
That was a little disappointing, she added.
SOURCE: http://www.kansasagland.com