Evergy working to restore power to thousands after Sunday night storms
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Evergy released a statement on Monday describing their efforts to restore power throughout the Kansas City metro after Sunday night’s storms.
According to Evergy, severe storms—some with winds exceeding 100 mph—spread from Kansas to parts of Missouri, causing more than 106,000 customers to lose power.
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Crews began restoring power as soon as it was safe to work and had successfully restored around 85% — approximately 90,000 — of those customers by late Monday morning.
As of 11 a.m. Tuesday, Evergy reported there were about 900 active outages with approximately 16,000 customers without power, and said some of these outages will continue into the week.
Evergy said the severe storms caused heavy winds to knock down power lines in multiple areas, with some poles being snapped in half. Trees and other debris also caused damage to the electrical grid, resulting in the worst damage being felt in Hutchinson and Newton, Kansas — cities north of Wichita — as well as parts of the Kansas City metro.
Currently, Evergy is assessing the damages as 175 tree crews work to clear limbs and other debris so line crews can work on the repairs. In addition to this, 26 crews from Liberty Utilities plan to arrive on Monday to help with repairs.
The initial restoration stages will emphasize cleaning the areas that faced the most damage, however, the company assures the public they are working to make sure everyone’s power turns back on.
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The completed restoration time has not been released, but Evergy is working with crews to update the public with that time frame as soon as possible.
In the meantime, customers are reminded to prioritize safety. Evergy said:
Stay at least 35 feet away from downed power lines or limbs on lines. Do not try to remove tree limbs or brush from downed lines or anywhere near power lines. Assume that any downed line is energized. If you have an emergency, please call 911.
Keep your phone charged if possible. Follow updates from local authorities and from Evergy for restoration times and safety advice.
Customers can also track outages online through the Evergy Outage Map.
Customers can also call Evergy. Kansas residents served by Evergy Kansas Central can call 800-LIGHT KS (800-544-4857).
Customers in the Kansas City metro area and Missouri can call 888-LIGHT-KC (888-544-4852).
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