NW Kansas News

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran led members of the Kansas congressional delegation in requesting that President Trump issue a disaster declaration for Kansas after severe storms affected the state from June 3 to June 7, 2025. The request follows Governor Laura Kelly’s formal submission for federal support on August 6, 2025.

In a letter to the president, the delegation stated: “We write today in support of Governor Laura Kelly’s request for a major disaster declaration for the State of Kansas following the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding that occurred from June 3 through June 7, 2025,” and added, “The aftermath of these natural disasters has left lasting impacts on the communities affected beyond when the storms have taken place.”

The letter referenced information from meteorologists: “According to the National Weather Service, the state of Kansas experienced near record values of atmospheric moisture through a very deep layer which is more typical of a tropical environment as opposed to Kansas,” and continued, “This resulted in dangerous flash flooding across the state, with many counties experiencing the heaviest rainfall between 5-12 inches occurred.”

Damage from these weather events included harm to farms, homes, public infrastructure and utilities. Emergency services reported several water rescues involving flooded vehicles and trapped individuals in various counties. The storms also caused power outages in rural areas and disrupted multiple emergency dispatch centers. This forced emergency calls to be rerouted and made response efforts difficult due to blocked roads and downed power lines.

Financially, Kansans are facing burdens related to recovery efforts. Damage assessments suggest that affected counties—including Barber, Butler, Chase, Cowley, Coffey, Franklin, Greenwood, Harper, Hodgeman, Kingman, Lyon, Morris, Osage, Stanton, Sumner and Wallace—could make Kansas eligible for over $7.5 million in public assistance funding.

The delegation reiterated their position: “We write today in support of Governor Laura Kelly’s request for a major disaster declaration for the State of Kansas following the severe storms... The aftermath of these natural disasters has left lasting impacts on the communities affected beyond when the storms have taken place. Federal support must be provided to assist our state in emergency response and restoration efforts.”

They concluded: “We... again express our wholehearted support for the Governor’s request. We look forward to federal support being made available expeditiously to adequately equip state and local governments with the resources necessary to respond to the devastation caused by these severe storms.”