News Releases

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – May 26, 2024 – Evergy crews worked Saturday night and all day Sunday and have restored power to more than 70% of the customers who lost power. Throughout the course of the overnight storm, more than 140,000 Evergy customers lost power. As of 4 p.m. on Sunday, 40,000 customers remain without power. 

Crews from Liberty Utilities in Joplin, Mo., and Alliant Energy, which serves Iowa and Wisconsin, will begin assisting with restoration on Monday. Line and vegetation crews totaling nearly 900 workers from neighboring utilities and local and regional contractors will arrive in Kansas City on Sunday and Monday to assist with power restoration. Because of the severity of damage, restoration work in some areas will take multiple days. Evergy expects to have all customers in Wichita and Shawnee restored by Monday night. In the KC metro area, restoration will likely extend to Wednesday night. Evergy customers in other communities are expected to be restored by Sunday night.    

The most severe weather and damage was in the Kansas City Metro area, where a downburst brought straight-line 70 mph winds that lasted about 10 minutes south of the I-70 corridor.  

Those winds caused significant damage to poles and caused downed power lines. Evergy crews began restoration as soon as it was safe to do so and will continue to work until power is restored to all customers. Vegetation crews are removing limbs and debris from damaged infrastructure to clear the way for line crews to make repairs. Power restoration is prioritized to bring the largest number of customers back on as quickly and safely as possible, prioritizing public safety and critical infrastructure.  

Assume that any downed line is energized. Downed lines can be reported online at https://www.evergy.com/community/safety/electrical-safety/around-power-lines. Stay at least 35 feet away from downed power lines or limbs on lines. Do not try to remove tree limbs or brush from downed lines or anywhere near power lines. If you have an emergency, please call 911. 

Customers should prioritize safety as restoration continues.  

• Keep your phone charged. Follow updates from local authorities and your utility company for restoration times and safety advice. 

• Avoid opening refrigerators and freezers frequently to keep food cold longer. Have non-perishable snacks accessible. 

• Download the Evergy mobile app: You can report an outage and keep up with outage updates by downloading the Evergy mobile app: https://www.evergy.com/about-evergy/mobile-app  or visit the outage map online: https://outagemap.evergy.com/ 

• Kansas residents served by Evergy Kansas Central can call 800-LIGHT-KS (800-544-4857). Customers in the Kansas City metro area and Missouri can call 888-LIGHT-KC (888-544-4852)