Johnson County schools cancel class Monday after storm damaged gas line, cut power

Some Johnson County schools canceled classes Monday due to damage caused by Sunday night’s storm.

The powerful thunderstorms that raced through the Kansas City area downed tree limbs and knocked out power for thousands.

Crews found a damaged gas line on the roof of Mill Valley High School in Shawnee, according to a Facebook post on the district’s account Monday morning. The pipe is isolated and was connected to the HVAC unit. Repairs are underway, and the school had to cancel classes Monday.

Several schools in Olathe were also reported to be impacted by the storms. .

Prarie Trail Middle and Meadow Lane Elementary schools in Olathe canceled class due to loss of power, according to emails sent to their school communities.

Casey Welch, Principal at Meadow Lane, said in a statement that while power was restored, power lines and poles were down on the property. Welch said they plan to have the property secure for class Tuesday.

Power at Prairie Trail Middle was not restored which resulted in class cancellation, according to principal Dr. Jenna Jones.

Nearly 19,000 customers were without power Monday morning in the Kansas City area after strong winds knocked trees and power lines.

Evergy reported 29,467 customers were without power as of 6:40 a.m. Monday across its entire service area. Over 13,100 customers were without power in the Kansas City metro area, which includes Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami and Wyandotte counties in Kansas and Cass, Clay, Jackson and Platte counties in Missouri.

Additional storms may return later Monday and into Tuesday, according to previous Star reporting. Scattered showers and thunderstorms could develop during the afternoon and evening, according to the National Weather Service.

Previous reporting by Robert Cronkleton and Andrea Klick were used in this article.

This story was originally published May 20, 2024 at 11:28 AM.