The latest local news, weather and high school sports from the Heartland

KIRKSVILLE, MO. -- The Heartland received a lot of rain over the weekend and more storms are headed our way this week.

We wanted to know how the roads in Adair County are holding up against Mother Nature.

County Commissioner Mark Thompson tells KTVO many of the roads need improvements. But he says the problem dates back long before this year.

“We've had rains for three years. The roads continually become worse and worse. We apply as many efforts as possible to improve the roads. It takes a lot of time and a lot of money. Some of the roads are destroyed,” he says.

Thompson says Adair County suffered more than $1 million in damage to roads and bridges after the storms in June.

“The biggest problem we've had are low-lying areas along bridges where the creeks overflow. It washes a lot of the gravel into the ditches. When those creeks overflow the roads are impassable so they're closed temporarily,” says Thompson.

He tells KTVO residents that are familiar with the areas that frequently flood know to avoid them. But he says it's important that people be careful because flash flooding happens quickly and can take drivers by surprise.

The county’s road and bridge budget comes from property taxes, sales taxes and gasoline taxes collected in the county. And Thompson says there’s not enough to money in it cover all the repairs that need to be made.

FEMA is in the county this week looking at the damages from the summer storms.

If Adair County receives FEMA assistance, the federal money will cover 75 percent of the damages. It will be up to the county to cover the rest.