Power restoration efforts are complete in parts of Lyon and Coffey counties after severe storms well before sunrise Tuesday.
Storms caused considerable damage to power poles and lines along Road F between Americus and Bushong, eventually closing F between 280 and 290 into early afternoon so poles could be repaired or replaced. F was also closed between 310 and 320 for several hours after power lines were down on the road. Evergy spokesperson Courtney Lewis tells KVOE News Evergy pulled crews from elsewhere across its coverage area to get power restored as fast as possible.
Incidents like this aside, Lewis says Evergy’s grid has help up “incredibly well” through other spring storm activity this year, and the regional service center approach — like the Emporia facility just west of town — helps to get equipment where it’s needed.
Lyon County Emergency Management Director Jarrod Fell says it was a lengthy effort, but things went smoothly.
Waverly, meanwhile, had several power lines downed as part of the storm activity.
In Emporia, power issues caused Flint Hills Technical College to end classes at all its campus locations. President Dr Caron Daugherty says most of the Executive Team started getting alerts about power outages at about the time the generator turned on.
Daugherty says the college was closed due to questions about servers and IT infrastructure, as well as ensuring full power instead of dealing with potential brownouts.
Culinary Arts was tentatively set to have its final World Cuisine lunch of the semester, and Fanestil Meats helped the department store items previously in the department’s freezers. A few Dental Hygiene were able to finish clinicals set for Tuesday, but most of those tests were rescheduled. The generator was already set for replacement, and that could be finalized at the Board of Trustees’ May meeting next week. Classes are set to resume Wednesday at FHTC.
Lewis says incidents like the one Tuesday highlight the need to be safe around power equipment.
Scattered tree branches were downed in all Emporia parks and at the David Traylor Zoo, with the most significant damage at Jones Park and at Peter Pan Park — which also had a dugout roof torn off at Optimist Field No. 2 overnight. Numerous tree limbs and trees were also reported downed in Americus, Lebo and Plymouth.
Storms also brought varying rain totals to the area, with anywhere from 0.30 inches at KVOE to around an inch along the Olpe-Hartford Road between both communities. Quarter-sized hail was isolated to Cottonwood Falls.
Showers are possible Wednesday morning. Storms could return to the area Saturday night or Sunday.
Click here for KVOE’s YouTube channel, including a report from today’s severe weather.
4 am-3 pm Tuesday: Storms generate wind damage, power outages, isolated quarter-sized hail early Tuesday
Severe thunderstorms brought damaging wind to parts of the KVOE listening area early Tuesday.
Storms pulled down several tree limbs in the 2- to 4-inch diameter range near Newman Regional Health as observed by KVOE. Larger tree branches were downed in east Emporia, and several trees were reported as downed in Americus. Confirmed wind gusts:
*3 miles east of Emporia: 58 mph
*1 mile south-southwest of Lebo: 61 mph
Storms also knocked out power to Evergy customers, with over 800 customers offline before sunrise in three areas: Emporia to Elmdale, Bushong and Waverly. The total is now down to under 250. Evergy spokesperson Gina Penzig says most of the damage and resulting outages were due to high winds and vegetation getting into equipment.
The National Weather Service says there were several downed poles near Bushong early Tuesday. F is completely closed between 310-320, and it is at one-lane traffic between 290-300. For the adjustment affecting the 2900 block of F, southbound traffic needs to detour a mile east or west before continuing south, with bent power poles leaning over that lane of traffic.
In Emporia, the wind overturned a dugout roof at Peter Pan Park’s baseball fields.
Hail reports were isolated, with some 1-inch hailstones in Cottonwood Falls.
Rain totals are also isolated so far:
*KVOE studios: 0.20 inches
*Emporia Municipal Airport: 0.26 inches
*9th and Burns: 0.50 inches
*10th and Weaver: 0.30 inches
*1100 block Constitution: 0.35 inches
*Coronado Avenue: 0.30 inches
*South and Sylvan: 0.70 inches
*1 mile north of Allen: 0.40 inches
*Americus: 0.10 inches
*Cottonwood Falls: 0.25 inches
*Eureka Milliken Airport: 0.03 inches
*3 miles east of Emporia Municipal Airport: 0.69 inches
*3.5 miles west of Emporia Golf Course: 0.50 inches
*5 miles southwest of Hartford: 0.80 inches
*Between Hartford and Olpe: 1 inch
*Kansas Highway 99 at Lyon-Greenwood county line: 0.70 inches
*Lebo Heidi Inn: 0.25 inches
*2 miles north of Lebo: 0.88 inches
*Olpe Blacksmith Shop: 0.40 inches
*2 miles north of Olpe: 0.60 inches
*Reading: 0.50 inches
*2.5 miles northeast of Reading: 0.39 inches
*2200 block Road M: 0.40 inches
Showers are possible Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday. Storms could return to the area Saturday night or Sunday.
If you have storm reports, storm photos or rain totals from early Tuesday, message the KVOE Bluestem Farm and Ranch Supply text line at 620-342-5863. If you have storm videos, message Facebook@kvoenews.
Photos by KVOE listeners and KVOE News staff
