County declares thunderstorm emergency; tangible effect unclear

EPHRATA — Grant County commissioners on Thursday approved a proclamation of emergency in response to public and private sector damage caused by a severe thunderstorm which blew across eastern and central Washington that evening.

While there were no reports of related injuries, the storm featured high winds reaching 70 mph in some locations, toppling trees onto power lines, roadways, and buildings. Along with power outages, there was also considerable lightning activity that may have sparked localized fires and isolated rain showers which caused some flooding and washouts.

The commissioners’ emergency proclamation was requested by sheriff Joey Kriete. It authorizes county departments to enter into contracts and obligations “necessary to combat such emergency situations to protect the health and safety of persons.”

That includes providing “appropriate emergency assistance to the victims of such disasters” and other actions “deemed appropriate” by county emergency management officials.

However, the tangible effect of the proclamation to benefit the public seemed uncertain during an initial discussion this morning (Monday, June 1) between county administrator Tom Gaines and commissioners Kevin Burgess, Cindy Carter, and Rob Jones.

Gaines questioned whether the total dollar amount of storm damage would reach a threshold qualifying the county or communities for state or federal emergency funding assistance.

There was some consideration of partnering with private businesses to provide dumpsters and a wood chipper for debris disposal — “There’s tons of debris,” said Gaines — but ultimately no action was taken at the time.

On Tuesday, Kyle Foreman, an information officer for the sheriff's office, said the proclamation enables jurisdictions to seek immediately needed work or repairs without having to go through a competitive bidding process.

In the storm’s aftermath, Grant County PUD was inundated by phone calls regarding outages — it was estimated that 6,000 customers were without power at 6 a.m. Friday. Electrical service was restored to many customers by Friday night, but those still without power were advised to call the PUD’s outage line at 1-800-216-5226 to confirm their information. 

The utility district’s fiber optic crews also continued to work through the weekend to restore internet services. In a Facebook post Sunday, officials said customers needed to call their internet service provider to report an outage. The ISP would then coordinate a response with the PUD.

“Thank you so much for your patience,” the district stated. “We know it is difficult and are getting to you as quickly and safely as possible!”

Editor's note: this article was updated at 10:07 a.m. Tuesday, June 2, 2026 to include a comment from the Grant County Sheriff's Office regarding the emergency proclamation and how it enables local jurisdictions to expedite needed work or repairs.