Thousands without power as storm fuels tornadoes, downs power lines, delays flights

A severe storm that tore through Johnson, Jackson, Cass and other surrounding counties has left in its wake thousands of power outages, several delayed flights and damage to power lines and property.

No injuries have been reported in Cass County, according to Cass Sheriff's Office spokesman Kevin Tieman.

But nearly 8,000 residential households and businesses are without power, according to the Kansas City Power & Light outage map.

"This is significant, yes, in this type of storm," said Jeremy McNeive, a spokesman for KCP&L.

At 10,000 outages, McNeive added, the power company must consider calling in backup utility companies to repair the damage.

Crews will be working through the night and focusing first on repairing areas that will "turn the most lights on at one time," McNeive said.

There is a report of power lines down throughout the area, and McNeive said they should "absolutely" be avoided if encountered.

Tieman, the Cass County Sheriff's spokesman, reported only minor damage in the county, such as downed trees and power outages.

Scott Gilmore with the Leawood Fire Department said about four power lines were down near 133rd and Mission streets.

There were no other reports of damage, he added.

The storm may have affected air travel into Kansas City International Airport. Seven flights scheduled to arrive at KCI between 9:54 and 9:56 p.m. were canceled, according to FlightView.com.

Approximately one dozen additional flights set to arrive in Kansas City late Wednesday and early Thursday have been delayed.

One passenger, Jeff Adams, tweeted that his flight from Dallas to KCI has been delayed.

"Quote from pilot: 'It’s much better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air, than in the air wishing you were on the ground.' True that," he tweeted.

This story was originally published May 2, 2018 at 10:30 PM with the headline "Thousands without power as storm fuels tornadoes, downs power lines, delays flights."