The cumulative effects of late October rains resulted in massive road failures throughout Phelps County this weekend.

More than 126 county roads were seriously impacted by flash floods, and road crews frantically worked through Friday and Saturday to make them passable.

Facing the second major flooding event this year, County Road and Bridge Supervisor Walter Snelson told the Phelps County Commission on Tuesday that Road Department resources — budget and staffing — were strapped.

“We’re short-staffed,” Snelson said. “We had money in the budget to replace people, but all the floods are taking every dollar for materials.”

Road crews, having finally completed many repairs associated with the multiple-flooding events wrought by May storms, saw much of their recent work wash away as floods recaptured surfaces newly laid, filled culverts with rock and chipped away at edges of roads. Even some box culverts caved in from the stress of forceful flash flooding, Snelson said.

County Clerk Carol Bennett agreed the Road and Bridge Department’s budget was stretched. Bennett said she spoke with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s local agent told her he would try to expedite some of the federal reimbursements connected with the May flooding disaster.

District 1 Commissioner Larry Stratman said, “We’ll have to make sure Road and Bridge has enough funds to facilitate the repairs.”

To date, Phelps County has recovered only $41,000 from total road-repair expenditures of $1.58 million associated with this year’s floods. FEMA is expected to approve $1.18 million, Bennett said.