(KAIR)--Elwood, Kansas residents evacuated Thursday evening as emergency sirens sounded in the Doniphan County community.

The evacuation began as the Missouri River, at Elwood, reached 30 feet. At that level, the City of Elwood’s mandatory evacuation plan is implemented.

Shortly before 7:30 Thursday evening, as the sirens sounded, a post on the official Doniphan County Emergency Management Facebook page listed the river stage, at Elwood, as 30.13 feet. 

Elwood City Attorney Joel Euler told those in attendance at Thursday evening’s flood-focused community meeting that residents had 8 hours to evacuate once the sirens sound. After 8 hours, residential power and gas are shut off.

In order to re-enter after evacuating, residents will be required to show a City of Elwood sewer/water utility bill and identification.

Red Cross shelters are in place, one at the Leonard L. Clary Community Building in Troy, and another at 6001 South 9th Street in Saint Joseph, Missouri.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly had planned to tour Elwood Thursday, but Euler Thursday evening said the city called off the visit because there was no time to meet. “The Governor was supposed to come today and we waved the Governor off because there was so much activity that we didn’t have time to visit with her.”

Two community meetings are planned for Friday evening. Euler said the first will be held at 6:30 in the gymnasium of the Wathena High School at 705 Jessie Street, and the second at 7:15 at the Restoration Church, located at 117 Francis Street in Saint Joseph, Missouri.