Miami County Tornado: Emergency Declaration & Cleanup

0:00Miami County and Kansas got slammed by its tornado Monday night in the Hillsdale area, and now leaders are set to sign a state of emergency declaration this Wednesday. That'll unlock outside aid and resources for rebuilding since the county of 44,000 folks doesn't budget for disasters this big. Governor Laura Kelly already issued a statewide disaster declaration that same night to speed up state help. Earlier this week, presiding commissioner George Pritz made a verbal agreement right after the storm hit, pulling in resources from as far as Wichita and Potawatomi County. The state emergency operation center is up and running, monitoring everything closely. But with another round of storms rolling in, they're racing the clock on cleanup. Residents are piling up brush along roads for collection, and neighbors like those in unincorporated Hillsdale are pitching in to clear fallen trees, and debris. Under Sheriff Matt Kelly says Tuesday focused on safety checks for roads and buildings, with only one minor injury reported and all residents accounted.

1:02Four no major tragedies here. New details show searchers check nearly 300 structures, with 113 affected and 41 significantly damaged or destroyed. Clean up ramps up Wednesday morning if weather holds, and they're calling for volunteers to sign up at Hillsdale Presbyterian Church on West 2. 150th Street, starting at 8.30 a.m. Local governments going all hands on deck to restore power by late Wednesday, and wrap most cleanup by Friday, getting Hillsdale back on its feet. Fast, community spirits already shining through as folks step up together. That wraps Kansas News today, brought to you with AI.