Wyandotte County community rallies to support residents left without power after this week's storm

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — KSHB 41 News reporter Lauren Schwentker covers stories in the Northland, including in Clay and Platte counties. Have a story idea? Send her an email.

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Residents in Wyandotte County entered four days without power Saturday after an overnight storm Wednesday left multiple homes in the dark.

Rebecca Molina said the storm hit hard and fast.

"It sounded like there was a war going on outside because of the hail," Molina said.

Brian Luton/KSHB 41

Molina said her neighbors are also still without power, with many relying on generators while they wait for restoration.

"I'm left in the dark. My neighbors are literally in the dark too," Molina said.

Driving through town, snapped utility poles and scattered debris make clear the cleanup is far from over.

In one backyard on Haskell Avenue, a tree snapped in half with downed power lines still waiting to be repaired.

Community organizations have mobilized to help. Khadijah Hardaway, with Justice for Wyandotte, said volunteers have been working around the clock.

"It's been nonstop movement, we are very active here. It's been a constant turnaround of volunteers coming to assist," Hardaway said.

Brian Luton/KSHB 41

Hardaway said a major focus has been checking on elderly residents and helping people protect their medication from the heat.

"We've been sending a lot of people out to take care of and assist seniors, gathering coolers so people can take care of their medication and store it, so it doesn't get ruined by the heat," Hardaway said.

Hardaway said the effort will continue as long as it is needed.

"We will be out here for as long as the need is needed," Hardaway said.

Several resource sites are available for residents in need across Wyandotte County.:

• North 27th Quindaro Boulevard
• McNewton Outreach — 2100 N. 13th St.
• Earl Watson Community Center — 1120 Central Ave.
• Strangers Rest — 2052 N. Fifth St.

Molina said even small acts of kindness can make a difference for neighbors still struggling.

"If you have power, let your neighbors charge their phones, hand out a power bank. It's the little things like that that can make a difference in our community right now," Molina said.

Kansas governor issues disaster proclamation

On Friday, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly issued a state of disaster emergency proclamation for Wyandotte County due to damages from severe storms Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.

“We know the people of Wyandotte County are facing a long road to recovery after these devastating storms,” Kelly said in a press release. “Our priority is making sure residents have the support and resources they need to safely clean up, restore power and begin rebuilding. The state of Kansas will continue working closely with local officials and emergency responders to help this community recover.”

Kansas City, Kansas, Mayor Christal Watson also posted an update on social media Friday on the area being declared a disaster.

Power restoration efforts

KSHB 41 News reporter Lauren Schwentker reached out to the Kansas City Board of Public Utilities on Saturday for the latest on power outages in Wyandotte County.

BPU said restoration efforts will likely continue through the weekend, and crews are moving "deeper into neighborhoods" to work on repairs that may be more complex.

"Our crews are working at what General Manager Jeremy Ash has called the 'speed of safety,' moving as quickly as possible while making sure the work is done safely for our customers, our crews and everyone who has come to help," the statement to KSHB 41 said. "We know people are frustrated, uncomfortable and ready to have their power back. Our teams know that too, and restoration work will continue around the clock."

BPU shared that damaged customer-owned electrical equipment must be repaired by a licensed electrician before BPU can restore power. More information on outage restoration can be found online.

If a customer who has had power restored suddenly loses power, it should be reported to the outage line at 913-573-9522.

There are still thousands of outages in Wyandotte County at the time of publication Saturday.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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