Severe storms leave thousands across KC metro without power

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Thousands in the Kansas City metro were left without power after a line of severe storms swept the area Sunday night.

Intense rain and winds between 60-80 mph pounded the metro starting just before 8 p.m. Sunday.

The National Weather Service of Kansas City reports a peak gust of 76 mph was measured at the Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport.

With the intense winds brought plentiful outages. Evergy posted a statement online around 8:45 p.m. Sunday explaining significant outages occurred as a result of the storm.

"Our teams are mobilized and beginning damage assessment and repair. Initial estimated restoration times are likely to change as the damage is evaluated," per Evergy.

At 11:46 p.m. Sunday, Evergy's outage map showed 63,556 customers were affected.

Earlier that evening, the outage map hovered around 77,000 customers affected, rising as high as nearly 80,000 at one point.

Evergy

Crews from communities not impacted by the storms were brought in to help repair the damage, per Evergy.

By 9 a.m. Monday, the energy company said power had been restored to nearly 75% of customers impacted by Sunday night's storm. Around 22,000 customers remain without power.

"Most remaining customers will have power back on Monday," Evergy shared in a statement. "Outages with extensive damage and related repairs will take longer."

In Kansas City, Kansas, the Kansas City Board of Public Utilities outage map showed around 13,000 customers were affected by the storm around 10 p.m. Sunday.

BPU

Nearly 12 hours later, a BPU spokesperson shared a little over 6,000 customers remain without power.

"BPU crews, along with additional contract crews, are all across BPU’s service territory working to restore power as quickly and safely as they can. This will be a multi-day restoration effort which could very well run into Wednesday of this week," per BPU.

At the height of Evergy's and BPU's outages Sunday night, around 90,000 Kansas Citians were without power.

Along with power outages, other damage around the area included downed lines, astray limbs and the loss of a church steeple in KCK.

Jake Weller/KSHB 41

Images of the storm rolling in captured shelf clouds blanketing the metro.

Viewer Jill Marchant even snapped a photo of lightning striking over downtown KCMO.

Jill Marchant

And while the Royals were able to squeeze their game in Sunday afternoon to secure their first sweep of the season, the storms caused Theatre in the Park in Shawnee and Starlight in KCMO to cancel shows.

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