Many across Kansas City metro still waiting for power to be restored
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Many BPU customers in Wyandotte County lost power during Sunday’s storms.
As of Tuesday evening, more than 1,000 customers were still waiting for the lights to come back on.
“If they don’t get it on, how much longer will it take? All of my food is ruined anyway,” said Luther Ragsdale, who lives in western Kansas City, Kansas, and lost power on Sunday. “So I’d like to get the lights back on and back to normal. At my age, it’s rougher because I will have to get out and find someplace else.”
Ragsdale is one of about 11,500 BPU customers who lost power on Sunday. Restoration crews are working around the clock to restore power for the remaining customers.
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“We don’t know what’s taking so long to get it back on. If we saw tree limbs down or something of that nature, then we would at least assume that that’s why they’re not back on,” said Melissa Miller, Ragsdale’s daughter. “But the block looks nice and clean. So we’re just trying to sit on the porch and get a good breeze, trying to wait it out and hope the next storm doesn’t impact it even longer.“
A BPU spokesperson tells FOX4 that barring any additional outages caused by storms on Tuesday, the utility company hopes to restore power for all customers by Wednesday afternoon.
BPU deployed crews from out of state to help with the process.
Customers who have been left without lights, refrigerators, and air conditioning since Sunday are increasingly frustrated.
“I came over here and picked up some food late in the evening to prevent all of it from spoiling, but the ice is melted in the freezer and so forth,” Miller explained. “So, just checking on him because he’s older. There’s no air conditioning, so we’ve tried opening the windows. “We’re trying to keep his cell phone charged, trying to make phone calls to see if we can get some assistance in getting the utilities back on.”
BPU crews are wrapping up restoration efforts for the few remaining neighborhood-wide outages. Next, they will tackle house-by-house and block-by-block outages. We are told Those outages tend to be more tedious and time-consuming.
Nick Moreno, the Communications Coordinator for BPU, sent FOX4 the following information that customers should know if they lose power.
“We are constantly urging customers to stay away from downed power lines and call 913-573-9522 to report them.”
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Below are five steps to follow if you lose power that BPU shares with our customers.
STEP 1
If your power goes out, check first to see if your neighbors have power. If you’re the only home without electricity, check the main fuse in your electric service panel or fuse box to see if the main circuit breaker has been tripped or if a fuse has blown. If your neighbors do not have electricity either, then you know there’s likely a power outage in your area. Go to BPU’s Outage Map at outage.bpu.com or via mobile device to determine if your area is impacted, the extent of the outage, repairs made, outages remaining, etc.
STEP 2
If you don’t see your area listed on BPU’s Outage Map, report your power outage by calling BPU’s Trouble Call System at 913-573-9522. An automated system will prompt you for information. Simply follow the instructions and utility crews will immediately be notified of your outage.
STEP 3
Turn off major appliances such as your electric range and washer/dryer. Turn off the majority of your light switches but leave a few on so you know when the power has been restored. This reduces the electrical demand once the power has been restored.
STEP 4
Unplug sensitive electronic equipment such as your TV, personal computer, microwave, etc. This will reduce the chance of damage caused by electrical surges.
STEP 5
Keep your refrigerator and freezer doors closed to conserve the cold inside. You never know how long the power will be out, and you don’t want food to spoil.
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