Photo courtesy Canva

On June 17, Governor Laura Kelly formally requested a major presidential disaster declaration from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in response to widespread damage from severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding that struck Kansas on May 18-19, 2025. The storms caused extensive damage to public infrastructure, including roads, utilities, and government buildings in 11 counties: Bourbon, Cheyenne, Edwards, Gove, Kiowa, Logan, Pratt, Reno, Scott, Sheridan, and Stafford.

The request seeks federal assistance through FEMA’s Public Assistance Program, which provides cost-share funding to repair damaged public infrastructure.

“Small towns like Plevna and Grinnell are the heartbeat of our state, and I am committed to providing and ensuring these communities, and the region, have the resources they need to rebuild and thrive,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Since day one of the recovery process, my administration has coordinated the deployment of technical, logistical, health, and environmental resources, in addition to advocating for recovery needs to relevant federal agencies like FEMA and the SBA.”

In the weeks following the storms, the Kelly administration led multiple response and recovery actions. These included visiting impacted communities like Grinnell, requesting and securing U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loans, issuing a state disaster emergency on June 4, and initiating joint FEMA and Kansas Division of Emergency Management (KDEM) damage assessments on June 5. State agencies have provided aid ranging from traffic control and debris removal to tetanus vaccines and waivers for document fees. KDEM, KDOT, KDHE, and DCF continue working with federal and local partners to support recovery efforts and restore essential services in affected communities.