KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Veteran KSHB 41 Photographer Al Miller spent part of Friday talking with officials dealing with a propane leak in the small Kansas town of McLouth. Al also spoke with residents who were grateful their neighbors took them in when those residents were forced out of the homes by the leak.
UPDATE: 10:15 a.m. | Emergency management Keith Jeffers says gas levels have dropped below the explosive danger, so they are asking residents to gather at the Nazarence church to begin the process of getting back into their homes. A firefigher and gas company official will make sure levels are below the danger level in each home before occupancy. That process is expected to take several hours.
Gas officials are still working to stop the leak, which may still take several days.
Residents in 15-20 homes east of McLouth, Kansas were forced to evacuate Thursday night.
Jefferson County Emergency Management Director Keith Jeffers says Enterprise Pipeline noticed the leak shortly after 7:00 p.m., causing emergency officials to evacuate the residents due to safety concerns of a possible explosion.
Red Cross is at the McLouth Fire station and MCLouth Methodist Church to provide assistance for displaced persons.
K16 Highway between McLouth and 251st Street including Fairmount Road and Dempsey Road are shut down.
Jeffers says the eight inch pipeline leak is in a farm field, and Enterprise Pipeline says the main shutoff is 10 miles away, meanwhile crews are burning off some gas, but if the leak can be isolated this morning after daylight, and if some gas dissipates, most residents may be able to get back to their homes approximately 3p.m. this afternoon. Each home would then have to be inspected for gas levels before residents could enter.
After daylight emergency officials will study a "plume map", and depending on weather and other factors, the Lake Dabinawa community of 300 or so homes could possible be evacuated.
Jeffers says the biggest danger is possible explosion hazards, but not a huge danger to
Jeffers say it may take a couple days to burn off the propane.
