The recent official disaster declaration from President Obama means the county can get funds to pay for a portion of the massive amount of repairs caused from the heavy spring flooding.

However, with that money, the county still needs to find up to $4 million to pay the rest of the bills.

“We can get up to 75 percent of the actual costs reimbursed,” County Engineer Doug Cade said. “Our county engineer estimate was $16 million. Once when we went to 104 slips that was $14 million on the landslides.”

FEMA representatives are expected to be here the first week of August to review the damaged sites, including the landslides and bridges. Right now less than 25 percent of the work has been completed, Cade said.

“We have only repaired four of the 104 slips, actually completely repaired them,” he said. “The others are temporary fixes.”

Coming up with the county’s part of the price tag may come from a variety of sources.

“(Four million) that is our whole budget,” Cade said. “Partly we will be reimbursed over the next 18 months. We can use some of our funds and be reimbursed. The chip and seal program, we have eliminated that this year.”

That adds $300,000 to the engineer’s budget.

“We will probably have to borrow to meet the obligation,” he said.