Atchison County proclaims local disaster for June flooding to pursue reimbursement

The Atchison County Board of County Commissioners on June 23 adopted a proclamation declaring a state of local disaster emergency for flood damage from the Delaware River between June 4 and June 15, 2026.

County staff told commissioners that additional damage reports received the morning of the meeting — including new information from Grasshopper Township — pushed the county close to or over the threshold for state or federal reimbursement. Commissioners moved, seconded and approved the proclamation, which the board read as invoking authority under KSA 48-932 and the Kansas Emergency Preparedness Act of 1975. The item passed with a two-to-zero vote and was recorded as resolution number 2026-1564 in the meeting record.

Commissioners said the declaration does not itself commit funds but starts the process for submitting damage reports and seeking reimbursement through the state and Federal Emergency Management Agency. The board discussed confirming that all affected townships submit their damage assessments so the county’s request accurately reflects total damage before formal submittal.

The commission noted that the emergency manager, James Stewart, had earlier submitted the proclamation for board consideration and that staff would check with the clerk’s office for any late submissions from townships before finalizing documentation. No further formal actions were taken at the meeting; commissioners instructed staff to transmit the proclamation and related documentation to the appropriate state authorities and to record the resolution in county files.

The board returned to regular session after previously scheduled executive sessions and continued with remaining agenda items.