The good news: almost all power outages have been restored after powerful thunderstorms cut off power to thousands of people in the KVOE listening area Saturday.
The bad news: there is currently no word yet on when Emporia streets blocked due to tree damage could reopen — and more heavy rainfall is possible this week.
Westar Energy had over 4,000 outages areawide. Spokesperson Kaley Bohlen says there was notable above-ground damage to poles and lines.
The Westar outage map is clear. Westar has started its scheduled outage at Emporia State University and should be done with that by evening.
Lyon-Coffey’s map is also clear. The utility had around 35 outages around 8 am, but that number spiked past 550 about 90 minutes later, with over 500 outages in Lyon County. Most were clustered just southwest of Emporia, with a second cluster near Americus. All outages have been restored.
When it comes to travel, just a handful of Emporia streets and intersections are currently closed:
*200 block South Neosho
*400 block West Kansas
*2340 West View
*Fifth and Rural
*Seventh and Lawrence
*Ninth and Prairie
*South and Mechanic
The 1800 block of Road F is also blocked due to Saturday’s weather. There is currently no update on when these roads will reopen.
Heavy rainfall is possible from Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning, and flooding is a concern for the area and much of Kansas. Flash flood watches blanket the area through most of Tuesday.
Photos by Lindsey Nurnberg
{gallery}Storms Lindsey Nurnberg 2 051919{/gallery}
Nurnberg’s photos were along the Grantville Turnpike near Saffordville.
