KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Residents in Kansas City, Kansas, are dealing with the aftermath of Thursday night's storms that left many without power for nearly a day.
Brenda Holland, a KCK resident, described the moment the storm hit her home.
"The whole house, you hear this thud, the whole house just shook," Holland said.
Though the storm was brief, its effects have been long-lasting for many in the area.
"It was just like the sky opened up and it just poured buckets," Tess Howell said.
Howell lost power for 20 hours and couldn’t get an estimated time of repair from the Board of Public Utilities.
"It frustrated me because all this money that you pay power companies, and they don't even talk to you," Howell said.
When calling the power company, Howell was met with an automated message: "Please allow us time to make the necessary repairs."
Her response reflected the growing frustration with the outage.
"I don't know, 18 hours is enough time," she said.
As the outage continued, Howell worried about the food in her freezer going bad, which would cost her hundreds of dollars.
"If I open up the doors to check to see, I'll end up crying, and it won't solve a dang thing," Howell said.
For Howell, who is diabetic, the power outage created additional health concerns. Her medication is kept in the fridge.
By Friday afternoon, her blood sugar had risen to 210.
Fortunately, her decision to keep the refrigerator doors closed paid off when power was restored just before 3 p.m. Having her power back saved hundreds of dollars worth of food and her medication.
"You just keep pulling your boots up and marching forward. I always tell people, Cowboy up," Howell said.
The Board of Public Utilities (BPU) has crews working until all power is restored. Residents still experiencing outages can report them by calling 913-573-9522.
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