Severe storms leave more than 1,000 without power in Hutchinson
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Powerful storms with winds approaching 100 mph swept through south-central Kansas early Tuesday, knocking out power to more than 1,000 customers in Hutchinson and causing widespread damage across the region.
The Hutchinson Regional Airport recorded a peak wind gust of 89 mph shortly before 4 a.m., according to weather data. The storms downed trees throughout the city, damaged structures and triggered power outages across Reno County.
Evergy reported approximately 1,281 customers in the Hutchinson area were without electricity as of 10 a.m. Tuesday. The utility said about 30,000 customers across its southern service area remained affected, with Wichita suffering the heaviest damage.
"Estimated restoration times are currently delayed while assessments continue," Evergy said in a statement. The company urged residents to avoid downed power lines and report them by calling 911.
The Hutchinson Fire Department responded to 27 weather-related calls between 3 a.m. and 10 a.m., said Jeremy Unruh, the department's division chief of operations.
Firefighters battled a structure fire in the 2800 block of Pama Lou Avenue while facing wind gusts up to 60 mph and heavy rainfall, Unruh said.
A firefighter suffered a hand injury while battling the structure fire at 4:01 a.m. Crews arrived to find heavy fire showing from the back of the unoccupied home and fought the blaze while facing 60 mph wind gusts and heavy rainfall. The fire caused damage to approximately one-third of the structure. The cause of the fire has been determined to be electrical, officials said.
The home was vacant at the time of the fire. No other injuries were reported.
Around 8 a.m., crews responded to a gas leak in the 2500 block of Briarwood Lane after a large tree fell on a gas meter. The home was evacuated and Kansas Gas Service shut off the gas supply.
Trees were downed across multiple areas of the city, including at the intersection of 17th Avenue and Jefferson and in northeast Hutchinson neighborhoods.
Authorities urged residents to check on neighbors, stay clear of hazardous areas and track power outage updates through Evergy's outage map or mobile app.
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