KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Icy weather brings with it a concern for power outages, but Evergy says they're ready.
Sleet and freezing rain moved into the Kansas City area Friday, and a spokesperson for the utility company said they keep a close eye on the storms.
Andrew Baker explained how their system is built to handle a quarter inch of ice. As a result, the company is not expecting a wide range of outages.
Baker said a storm the previous weekend impacted less than one percent of customers who lost power.
“One of the things that we do ahead of time for our customers is our tree trimming program. That’s something that we monitor throughout the year. It does remove limbs around power lines, which is one of the most prominent threats for us during the winter season," Baker said.
He added that customers should have a plan in case they lose power.
“One thing we encourage our customers is to have a storm kit ready. Anything that’s battery operated, so a flash light, a radio. Make sure your cell phone is charged, that’s key. And definitely have a communications plan in place for all your friends and family, so if there’s a chance of a long outage, everyone’s accounted for and you know everybody’s safe," Baker said.
If you have an outage, Evergy says to report by calling 888-LIGHT-KC (888-544-4852) or by going online.
Also, people are urged to stay away from downed power lines and treat them as if they're live.
