Stevens County declares state of emergency after June severe-weather event

Stevens County commissioners voted to declare a state of emergency after damage from a severe-weather event that began June 2, 2025.

The declaration, introduced by Donna Greiner and read into the record by Becky (staff member), states that the storm “has impacted the population of Stevens County and cities” and “has caused a significant amount of public property damage.” The resolution sets the county’s per-capita damage threshold in the county’s documentation and authorizes submission of the declaration to the state for possible state and federal assistance.

The board chair, Donnie Willers, signed the declaration on behalf of the county and the commission approved the resolution by voice vote. Commissioners said staff will use collected damage reports and photos to support threshold calculations for state and federal aid and possible reimbursement for utilities and other county costs.

Why it matters: declaring a state of emergency is the county’s first formal step to access state and federal recovery programs and reimbursement for eligible public works and utility costs. County staff explained that damage reporting — including the citizen-submitted photos and survey data collected through the county’s reporting app — helps establish the thresholds used by state and federal programs.

Commissioners and staff noted the following immediate next steps: collecting individual damage reports, mapping damage locations across the county, submitting the county declaration to the state emergency management office and tracking potential eligibility for state and federal public assistance programs.

The board approved the declaration at the meeting; staff said they will submit the declaration and supporting data to the state emergency management office to pursue available assistance.