Approximately 30 representatives from communities across Ottawa County gathered in the basement of the Ottawa County Courthouse on Tuesday, June 23, from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. for an after-action review of the devastating June 8 storm. Participants included representatives from Ada, Bennington, Delphos, Minneapolis, Tescott, and Wells, as well as townships, fire departments, Ottawa County Departments, Central Kansas Mental Health, USD 239 North Ottawa County Public Schools, and the American Red Cross.
Ottawa County Emergency Management Director Miller Karns led the session, reviewing the storm’s timeline. Karns noted, “Damage assessments started immediately during the early morning hours of June 9 as emergency officials worked to establish cooling stations and notify the American Red Cross. Water delivery also began throughout the area, and on June 10, Minneapolis Junior Senior High School opened an overnight shelter in partnership with local emergency management. Opaa! Foods, USD 239’s Food Service provider, also donated hot meals. On June 11, portions of Bennington regained power, and power was eventually restored to area communities.”
Participants praised the collaboration among local agencies, volunteers, and emergency responders. However, several challenges were identified, including the need for generators and improved communication through the Insta Alert System. Officials reiterated the need to continue testing all sirens annually during Tornado Awareness Month in March.
The group discussed the limited radar coverage in Ottawa and Lincoln counties, noting that the National Weather Service relies primarily on radar from Hastings, Nebraska, leaving a "radar hole" that makes trained local storm spotters especially important. Since radar often detects storms 7,000 to 10,000 feet above the ground, additional trained spotters are needed to provide surface-level observations. If you are interested in becoming a local storm spotter, training is offered in the area every March. This past year, training was offered on March 10, 2026, at the Ottawa County District Courthouse, 307 N Concord Street, Minneapolis, KS 67467, from 7:00-8:30 p.m. Attendance at this past year's training was low; thus, the group discussed ways to improve communication to promote the training and help boost future attendance.
American Red Cross Community Disaster Program Director Carol Arnold emphasized the need for additional local volunteers and more shelter partnerships. Arnold noted that many volunteers responding had been impacted by the multi-county storm or had traveled from as far away as Topeka, which was also affected by flooding. Additional volunteers are needed to help distribute water, snacks, and supplies during future disasters, particularly when neighboring and larger communities, such as Salina, are also responding and overwhelmed by emergencies. To help ensure our region has enough volunteers, residents are encouraged to volunteer with the American Red Cross by visiting www.redcross.org/volunteer/become-a-volunteer.html and applying.
Emergency officials encouraged future registered volunteers conducting damage assessments to immediately photograph storm damage and submit images to the Ottawa County Emergency Management Office’s email address: otem@ottawacounty.org to assist with FEMA documentation and potential disaster assistance.
During the meeting, North Ottawa County Public Schools Superintendent Curtis Stevens noted, “The June 8 storm is a reminder to area agencies to ensure MOUs or memorandum of understanding are updated and in place to provide for stronger collaboration during these events. The USD 239 Board of Education will consider a MOU with the American Red Cross at the upcoming July 6 board meeting.”
Overall, the meeting served as an excellent opportunity to debrief and learn how our community members can enhance future emergency response efforts.