Storm zaps power in Bourbon, Vernon counties

Strong storms blow out a large plate of glass at Shepherd Team Auto Plaza on Friday.(Laurie Sisk/Tribune)

High winds and heavy rains took out electricity for nearly 5,000 customers -- mainly in Bourbon County, Kan., on Friday.

KCP&L, which provides power to the Nevada area, said on its Web site that 794 customers were without power Friday afternoon. The utility has 8,865 customers, the site said.

In Bourbon County and into Bronson on the Bourbon-Allen County line, 4,122 customers were without electricity, Westar Energy spokeswoman Erin La Row said. She said the company has 6,049 customers in Bourbon County and the hardest hit area was in Fort Scott.

Jeff Taylor, Amber Dabney, center, and Michell Taylor, clean up a tree that fell across Panama Road at 1600 Road southeast of Nevada after Friday afternoon's storm just before a Vernon County road grader arrived.(Ralph Pokorny/Herald-Tribune)

The culprit was a strong cold front moving into a mass of warm, moist, unstable air, according to the National Weather Service in Springfield, Mo.

La Row said preliminary damage estimates indicate about 45 transmission poles down in the area. As of 8:30 p.m. Friday, La Row said in a news release it could be Sunday before power is restored to all customers. She said crews have been mobilized and damaged structures will be razed.

"We have to make sure we have everything we need to get the repairs made," La Row said Friday. "Unfortunately, pole repairs take longer. In some cases, customers may be without power 24 hours or longer."

Residents of the Garrison Quarters apartments examine their trailer after it was hit by a falling tree limb. The apartment complex also sustained damage.(Kenny Felt/Special to the Herald-Tribune)

Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative in Girard said Friday afternoon's intense thunderstorm also took out power to its customers with members in Bourbon County and Fort Scott taking the heaviest damage. Other hard hit areas were in Linn and Allen counties, with additional damage spread throughout Crawford and Cherokee counties, a news release said.

Downed trees and power lines are among the reports reported over the police scanner. A tree on a house and power line down were reported at 903 W. Sycamore.

A truck was reported blown off Missouri Highway 43 north of Bronaugh, a tree was reported down on Spring Street, just south of Austin Boulevard and numerous traffic lights out or blinking were reported around Nevada and Fort Scott.

The roof of the Fort Scott Community College dormitory and administration building was damaged in the storm, spreading debris across the campus and into neighboring properties.(Kenny Felt/Special to the Herald-Tribune)

A tree was reported down in the 600 block of South Commercial, on the road at the entrance to the Nevada Country Club and an overturned pool, but no location was available.

Fort Scott Police Department Lt. Shaun West said damage was still being assessed, electrical poles were reported down and trees had taken some lines down in the city.

A few minor vehicle accidents were reported in Fort Scott, West said.