Seven Kansas utility crews help restore power to devastated Kiowa
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August 9, 2017
Kiowa, Kansas, City Administrator Lou Leone couldn't say enough positive things about city employees, out-of-town crews and the people of Kiowa and their reaction to the worst storm Kiowa has ever seen in longtime residents' memories.
As is evident throughout the pages of the Newsgram this week, the excessively high wind storm, driving rain and bullet-like hail caused devastation throughout the community. The storm hit the community Saturday between 6 and 7 p.m.
Leone said he called for the mutual aid agreement with KMU (Kansas Municipal Utilities) and the KMEA (Kansas Municipal Energy Agency). Crews came from Russell, Ellinwood, Clay Center, Hillsboro, Garden City and McPherson. Winfield dropped off supplies as they battled storm problems of their own. The crews worked around the clock, restoring power Monday morning at 1 a.m.
The city administrator said there were 15 poles down within the city limits. Another 15 poles were out south of town toward Burlington. Because of the poles down in town the generators would not work, Leone said. Also, the new generators still have to be wired up, he said.
Leone told council members this storm will cost about $60,000 out of city reserves for manpower alone. Add in the expense of the late June wind storm and Leone said the city has spent roughly $100,000 in the last 30 days on manpower.
He said supplies for this storm will cost another $15,000. The city is in the middle of a major pole replacement project and it will continue.
“The poles that fell are 30-plus years old,” Leone said. “Of the new poles we put up, not one fell.”
Leone said his staff is working to get some disaster money. Documentation goes to the county and then state. That documentation includes, for example, the hours worked even by volunteers.
The National Weather Service was expected to be in town early this week to hopefully determine what actually caused the damage – straight line winds, rotation or something else. Whatever it was, the people of Kiowa will remember it for years to come.
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