(KANSAS CITY, Kan.) — Up to 70 mph winds hit Kansas City last evening knocking
out power to more than 95,000 in the metropolitan area, including over 12,000
BPU customers. BPU crews have been working all night during additional weather
activity, and continue working hard to restore power to the remaining
customers without power.
If you do Experience a Power Outage, Take the Following Steps.
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Check BPU’s Outage Map to
determine if your neighborhood is on the outage list. If you need to report
an outage in your area, call BPU’s emergency number at 913-573-9522. Due to
the large volume of calls in mass outage events, customers may need to leave
a message with their name, address and phone number.
-
If you see wires down, do not touch or go near them and keep other family
members away from any downed power lines.
- Keep freezers and refrigerators closed.
-
Turn off electric burners, ovens, electronic equipment. and computers
(dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers can be left on).
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Turn on your porch or entry light and one inside light so that both you and
the power crews can tell when service has been restored.
BPU Outage Restoration Protocols
With 3,000 miles of electric lines, 29 substations, 16,500 transformers, and
19,000 streetlights to service, BPU’s electrical system is spread out over a
135 sq. mile area which includes both urban and rural areas. Once a large
power outage occurs, BPU and other utilities follow specific
Outage Restoration Protocols
for restoring power quickly and safely to their communities. These include:
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Check Generation Facilities to determine if the original power source is
still operating.
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Repair Transmission Lines that carry electricity from the generation
stations to substations.
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Repair Substations where high-voltage power from the transmission lines is
reduced for home usage.
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Repair Distribution Lines that carry electricity from substations to each
neighborhood.
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Restore power to Critical Functions First, such as police, fire, and
hospitals, as well as critical medical alert customers if possible.
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Repair the Tap Lines that serve anywhere from 20-300 homes and businesses.
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Reconnect lines to Individual Customers. This is the most difficult and time-consuming step in the restoration process
What to do if Your Power Goes Out:
While BPU has outage management protocols and procedures in place to restore
power as quickly as possible, it is also important that utility customers
prepare for potential power failures and know how to react. A few simple
preparations can reduce the inconveniences caused by a power outage.
Step 1… If your power goes out, check first to see if your
neighbors have power. If you are the only home without electricity, check the
main fuse in your electric service panel or fuse box to see if the main
circuit breaker has been tripped or if a fuse has blown. If your neighbors do
not have electricity either, then you know there has been a power outage in
your area. You can also check out
BPU’s Outage Map to determine if your
area is impacted, the extent of the outage, repairs made, outages remaining,
etc.
Step 2… If you don’t see your area list on BPU’s Outage Map,
report your power outage by calling BPU’s Trouble Call System at 913-573-9522.
An automated system will prompt you for information. Simply follow the
instructions and utility crews will immediately be notified of your outage.
Step 3… Turn off major appliances such as your electric range
and washer/dryer. Turn off the majority of your light switches but leave a few
on so you know when the power has been restored. This reduces the electrical
demand once the power has been restored.
Step 4… Unplug sensitive electronic equipment such as your
TV, personal computer, microwave, etc. This will reduce the chance of damage
caused by electrical surges.
Step 5… Keep your refrigerator and freezer doors closed to
conserve the cold inside. You never know how long the power will be out, and
you don’t want food to spoil.