Aug 02, 2024

Evergy restores more than 95% of outages from storm that brought 90 mph winds

Posted Aug 02, 2024 3:47 PM
Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)
Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Evergy

 Evergy crews have restored more than 95% of customers who lost power when Wednesday’s severe storms rolled through our service area. About 4,500 customers remain without power as of 10:00 a.m. These are customers in communities that had the most severe damage from the storm, which brought wind speeds as high as 90+ mph.  

About 350 line workers from neighboring utilities are joining the 1,100 Evergy personnel working to clear trees and make repairs. Neighboring utilities in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri and Iowa are providing assistance. Crews will continue working until all power is restored. 

The hardest hit areas included Salina, Topeka, Lawrence and the Kansas City metro. The storm took down more than 100 power poles in the Topeka and Salina areas, as well as multiple transmission lines near Salina that help deliver power across long distances. Those transmission lines are repaired and back in service.  

Most remaining Evergy customers in the Topeka and Salina areas will have power restored today. Some outages may stretch into Saturday afternoon. In Lawrence and the Kansas City metro area, storm restoration is expected to be complete this evening.  

We urge customers to be aware of heat safety and consider seeking out their nearest cooling shelters or other locations with air conditioning. Customers can call 2-1-1 to find cooling shelters or contact their city or county officials. 

If you see a downed power line, stay at least 30 feet away and always assume that it’s still energized. Report it right away online at http://www.evergy.com/powerlinesafety. Call 911 in an emergency.    

Download the Evergy mobile app to report an outage and receive update 

Contact center info:  

Kansas Central: 800-544-4857  

Kansas Metro, Missouri Metro, and Missouri West: 888-544-4852