HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Reno County commissioners agreed Tuesday to extend the emergency declaration for another week because of the continued flooding and the potential for more rain this week.

Emergency Management Director Adam Weishaar wants to remind residents, children and adults alike, that playing in floodwaters is dangerous. Floodwaters potentially contain raw sewage.

“We’ve had several complaints of kids playing in floodwaters. There have been adults walking through floodwaters,” Weishaar said. “With all the rain, with all the groundwater coming up, we do have a whole lot of raw sewage, we have a whole lot and field runoff, so there’s hazardous chemicals, it’s really dangerous for these people to be entering the floodwaters.”

He adds that, with the disaster declaration, it’s also illegal.

People are also still driving around barricades, which is also illegal and can result in tickets to those in violation of the declaration. Barricades are in place for public safety.