For the fourth time in recent weeks, Topekans found themselves cleaning up Thursday morning in the wake of a severe overnight thunderstorm bringing high winds that cut electrical power to thousands of homes and businesses.
More than 5,000 Topeka homes and businesses remained without power about 7 a.m. Thursday, according to the online outage map maintained by the electrical utility Evergy. That total had been reduced by about 4 p.m. to 3,564, it said.
The outages forced the temporary closure of various businesses, including several in the area of S.W. 21st and Gage Boulevard.
"Outages from the severe storms overnight peaked at about 37,000 customers without power throughout our service area, with Topeka, Wichita, Newton and Leavenworth heavily impacted," Evergy said on its power outage map website. "As of 8 a.m., we’ve restored power for 65% of customers impacted."
Oakland neighborhood saw widespread tree damage
Winds estimated at 80 mph did widespread tree damage about 10:35 p.m. Wednesday in northeast Topeka's Oakland neighborhood, bringing down some trees that were one to two feet in diameter, the National Weather Service's Topeka office said on its website.
The Topeka Fire Department about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday rescued a person who had been injured and trapped under a fallen tree during the storm in the Kansas River near 1115 N.E. Poplar in the Oakland community, said Rosie Nichols, public safety communications specialist for Topeka’s city government.
The city wasn’t making public the name, age or gender of the person, whom Nichols said was taken to a Topeka hospital with injuries that weren’t considered life-threatening.
Judy Cremer lives near the intersection of N.E. Fairlawn and Arter Avenue in the Oakland community. A tree was uprooted during the high winds and landed on her 1986 Toyota pickup truck, crushing it.
"When the wind went through it was pretty loud," Cremer said.
Her home was still without electrical power Thursday morning, she said.
Courtney Hug, who lives just south of Cremer on N.E. Arter Avenue, was surprised by the storm's intensity.
"I've lived in this house pretty much all my life," Hug said. "I've never seen anything like it."
Further north on N.E. Arter Avenue, Greg Bogue was picking up limbs. Of the storm, he said, "Happens every 20 years."
Central Topeka, North Topeka and East Topeka were also hit hard, according to accounts posted on Facebook.
The storm brought wind gusts estimated at 65 mph seven miles west/southwest of Topeka about 10:24 p.m. and gusts estimated at 60 to 70 mph about 10:42 p.m. at Grantville in southwest Jefferson County, the weather service said.
Four schools were on a two-hour delayed schedule Thursday because of the storm, Topeka USD 501 told families in an email Thursday morning. It identified those as Chase Middle School, 2250 N.E. State; State Street Elementary School, 500 N.E. Sumner; Meadows Elementary School, 201 S.W. Clay; and Quincy Elementary School, 1500 N.E. Quincy.
Topeka weather information from after roughly 11 p.m. Wednesday remained unavailable late Thursday afternoon on the website of the weather service's Topeka office, located near Philip Billard Municipal Airport in the Oakland area.
That was because of a power failure, said Adam Jones, a meteorologist for that office. The weather service building was operating on generator power, but its observation station lacks a generator, he said.
City to offer debris pickup
Topeka’s city government has deployed all available resources to help deal with the aftermath of the storm, said Dan Garrett, the city’s director of communications.
City crews were working in affected areas to move debris to the side of the street, he said.
The city was also mobilizing third-party contractors to help with clean-up, Garrett said.
Grapple trucks will be used to pick up debris in neighborhoods beginning at 7 a.m. Monday, with crews starting in the areas that were hit hardest, he said.
Only trees and brush will be picked up. Residents are asked to place trees and brush in a clear area near the back of the curb.
Topeka has seen series of severe thunderstorms
Thursday's outages came after Topekans in recent weeks had experienced the following:
•AJune 26 stormcharacterized by 86 mph winds, which left more than 11,800 homes and businesses without power in the area.
•AJuly 16 stormbringing winds as high as 70 mph, which cut power to more than 10,000 homes and businesses in the area.
•And a July 31 storm bringing winds as high as 77 mph, which cut power to more than 32,000 homes and businesses in the area.
Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.
