News from
The Adjutant General's Department

CONTACT:
Sharon Watson
Director, Public Affairs Office
Work: (785) 274-1192
Cell: (785) 806-4063
http://www.Kansas.gov/ksadjutantgeneral

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    March 28, 2009

No. 09-017     

ICE AND SNOW BRING DOWN POWER FOR 17,000 KANSAS WESTAR CUSTOMERS; KANSAS GUARD PROVIDES MORE HELP

Parts of Southwest Kansas have approximately two feet of snow today while South Central Kansas has the challenges of icy conditions. This has resulted in power outages for more than 17,000 Kansas Westar customers in South Central Kansas, more than half of those in Sedgwick County.

More County Declarations

Nine counties have issued disaster declarations: Barton, Harper, Pratt, Reno and Seward are the latest to do so. Butler, Cowley, Harvey and Marion declared yesterday. This indicates local resources may be overwhelmed and this allows the county to take steps to request state resources, and to operate differently than normal circumstances require.

Southwest and South Central Kansas have accumulated significant snow overnight with reports of up to 28  inches in Pratt County with drifts up to 6 feet.  Other hard hit counties are Barton, Comanche, Ford, Finney, Grant, Haskell, McPherson, Reno, and Seward.

More Kansas National Guard Support

Kansas National Guard Humvees are heading into Reno County to move medical personnel to and from the local hospital. Yesterday, two Humvees from the Kansas Guard were sent to Seward County to do similar missions and remain there today.

Kansas roadways remain treacherous with drifting, blowing snow causing white out conditions and making some roads impassable and resulting in one storm-related traffic fatality in Marion County. Kansas Department of Transportation has closed numerous roads in the western and south central part of the state. A complete list of road closures is available at 511 or going to http://511.ksdot.org. If outside the state, call 1-866-511-5368 to get local road conditions.

“We urge anyone needing to travel today to plan ahead, have a full tank of gas and take emergency supplies with you including water, food, medicine, blankets and a cell phone,” said Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting, adjutant general and director of the Kansas Division of Emergency Management. “If you don’t have to travel, it’s best to stay home until the roads can be cleared and conditions improve.”

The State Emergency Operations Center in Topeka remains open today to provide state resources to counties if local conditions warrant state assistance. Yesterday, the Kansas National Guard sent Guardsmen in Humvees to Seward County to rescue stranded motorists. The Guard members also transported medical personnel to and from the local hospital.

Additional resources the state could be asked to provide during this winter storm include health and welfare checks in rural areas with impassable roads, search and rescue, shelters, cots and water for shelters, communication support and generator support for critical infrastructure such as shelters, hospitals and nursing homes. (Generators are not available to individuals from the state or federal government).

The State Emergency Operations Center is staffed with numerous state agencies monitoring the situation including Kansas Division of Emergency Management, Kansas Highway Patrol, Kansas Department of Transportation, Kansas National Guard, Kansas Department of Agriculture, Kansas Department of Health and Environment and American Red Cross.

Additional Information

Additional information regarding emergency kits is available at www.ready.gov and www.ksready.gov.

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