Kansas Governor Sam Brownback declared a State of Disaster Emergency Tuesday night for Wabaunsee County.

An apparent tornado struck the City of Harveyville just after 9 p-m. One person has been critically hurt, and several minor injuries were reported. A number of homes were damaged along with a church, and there are numerous reports of trees down and power lines down throughout the area.

The governor’s declaration activates the disaster response and recovery portions of the Kansas Response Plan, authorizing state resources to expedite emergency assistance statewide, as necessary.

Wabaunsee County Emergency Management advised the Kansas Division of Emergency Management (KDEM) that four individuals had been trapped in a structure for a time. Law enforcement officials confirm everyone has been accounted for in the area.

Wabaunsee requested through KDEM a search and rescue team and an Incident Management Team from Northeast Kansas deploy to Harveyville to assist with the response. The American Red Cross has been notified to assist. A shelter has been established at the high school in Harveyville.

Wabaunsee County requested mutual aid assistance from Pottawatomie County; American Medical Response is the ambulance service and has requested additional resources from AMR in Topeka.

The Kansas Division of Emergency Management will continue to staff the State Emergency Operation Center in Topeka to monitor the situation and manage requests for additional state resources.