Storms knock out power to more than 26,000; restoration expected to take until late Tuesday.
WICHITA – Westar Energy called in additional people to restore power after a tornado struck parts of Wichita as storms rolled through Kansas Saturday and early Sunday. Power is expected to be restored to all customers by late Tuesday.
They say heavy traffic from curious sight-seers was slowing down power restoration and emergency management. Westar respectfully asks members of the public not to drive into areas with heavy tornado damage. The highest number of customers without power was 26,500 about 11 p-m Saturday. By midmorning Sunday, that number had been reduced to fewer than 8,000 customers. As of Sunday afternoon, about 7,300 customers in Sedgwick County and 140 in Butler County were without power.
Westar brought more than 100 line personnel along with tree trimmers to assist with
power restoration. The storms knocked down more than 110 power poles and broke nearly 200
power lines in addition to damage at substations.
For some homes and businesses, the storm also damaged the service line that spans
between the power pole and the structure. Frequently when this happens, the meter box will pull away from the house. Homeowners and business owners are encouraged to check for damage of this nature and, if the meter box has separated from the structure, to call a licensed electrician.
This repair is the responsibility of the owner and must be made before electricity can be safely
restored. (An illustration of the meter box is available at https://www.westarenergy.com/wcm.nsf/content/meter%20illustration.)
When responding to widespread power outages, Westar Energy first addresses any immediate public safety hazards, such as downed power lines. While line crews are responding to these concerns, other personnel begin to conduct damage assessment. This allows line crews to know where the damage occurred and what types of repairs are required so they have the right equipment and materials. When prioritizing outage restoration, we first work to restore power to vital public facilities and then focus on the outages that will restore power to the largest number of customers first. (More about restoration:
https://www.westarenergy.com/wcm.nsf/content/restoration%20process.)