Strong winds have caused power outages, closed highways with blowing dust, and evacuations because of spreading grass fires across Kansas.
Downed power lines were reported across south central Kansas, with some street closings in west Wichita. There were reports of downed power lines and leaning power poles across Butler County, including Rose Hill, Augusta, Leon and El Dorado. Evergy was reporting around 1,000 customers without power in Sedgwick and Butler County, and more than 17,000 customers without power in its entire service area in Kansas.
Wichita reported a peak gust of 61 at Eisenhower National Airport, but a report from east Wichita had a 71 mile-an-hour gust, with 67 reported in Bel Aire and a 71 mile-an-hour gust in Maize. A gust of 72 miles an hour was reported in Arkansas City.
K-254 was closed in both directions between K-135 and the Sedgwick-Butler County line.
Evacuations were being ordered in Cowley County because of grass fires that were being spread by the southwest winds. People between 161st Road and 211th, from 202nd Road to U.S. Highway 160 were advised to evacuate to the north and east. By 7 p.m. crews had the fire contained and said there were no injuries and no structures were lost.
Similar conditions were reported in Oklahoma with blowing dust and wildfires spread by the strong winds.
[photo: KanDrive.gov ]
