KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Over 60,000 Evergy customers are still without power Saturday morning after storms swept over the Kansas City metro area Friday.
Friday, the utility company said it could take several days for some to get their power back.
Friday afternoon, Evergy reported over 140,000 without power.
Evergy said line crews are already out working to restore service.
“We expect restoration in the areas most severely impacted to be a multiday restoration effort,” an Evergy spokesperson said.
As of 10:42 p.m. there were over 49,000 customers affected in Johnson County alone, compared to over 60,000 earlier in the day.
The company does not have individual restoration times available for customers.
Evergy said the storm downed many power lines, and the company is reminding customers to stay away from downed wires.
The company said it has reached out to neighboring utilities in Iowa, Colorado, Oklahoma and Missouri for assistance.
Severe storm warnings
The severe storm threat is over for the Kansas City area, but earlier Friday many counties in the area were under severe thunderstorm warnings.
Strong winds — some as fast as 60-80 mph — made the rain fall sideways at times and toppled trees and power lines throughout the area.
FOX4’s Weather Team reports the following wind gusts Friday:
- 80 mph – Leawood
- 75 mph – Lawrence
- 70 mph – Shawnee
- 70 mph – Whiteman AFB
- 65 mph – Lee’s Summit
- 60 mph – KCMO/KCK
Power outages
Over 100,000 Kansas City-area customers are without electricity Friday afternoon.
Evergy is reporting over 150,000 customers in Kansas and Missouri — including over 120,000 in the Kansas City area — without power as of 7:30 p.m.
Lightning strikes during a severe thunderstorm in Tonganoxie, Kansas, on July 14, 2023. 
Storms in Overland Park, Kansas, toppled a recycle bin and broke tree limbs on July 14, 2023. (Photo provided by Landon Haan) 
Tree limbs are down in Independence after storms Friday, July14. (Photo by 
Storm clouds move into the Kansas City area on July 14, 2023. (Photo by Jennifer Hensley/FOX4) 
Storms move into Leavenworth, Kansas, on Friday, July 14. (Photo by Hattie Blanke) 
Storm clouds roll into Douglas County 
Storm clouds move into the Kansas City area on July 14, 2023. (Photo by Sean McDowell/FOX4) 
Severe storms moving through western Wyandotte County on Friday, July 14, 2023. (Photo courtesy: Amy Lindsay)
BPU in Kansas City, Kansas, is reporting over 28,000 customers without power. In Independence, over 6,000 customers don’t have electricity right now.
Wyandotte County emergency management reported possible power outages at the Wyandotte County Fairgrounds and Azura Amphitheater where events are scheduled Friday night.
Report outages for Evergy, BPU and Independence Utilities here.
Damage reports
People throughout the KC area are reporting downed trees and power lines, leading to major damage and power outages.
A Kanas City firefighter had a tree fall on his home Friday while he was out responding to emergencies. Thankfully no one was home, officials said, and no one was injured.
Leavenworth County emergency management have taken several reports of power lines downed by trees throughout Tonganoxie, including one incident that caused a fire. Another downed tree fell on a residence in Tonganoxie.
A tree fell on a home in Leawood after storms Friday, July 14. (Photo by Michaela Pearce) 
A large tree was damaged in Eudora, Kansas, on Friday, July 14 after severe thunderstorms. (Photo by Ryan Lee Lauber) 
A large tree was damaged in Eudora, Kansas, on Friday, July 14 after severe thunderstorms. (Photo by Ryan Lee Lauber) 
A tree fell on a home in Leawood after storms Friday, July 14. (Photo by Michaela Pearce) 
Severe storms moving through western Wyandotte County on Friday, July 14, 2023. (Photo courtesy: Amy Lindsay) 
Damage from storms in Independence, Missouri on Friday, July 14, 2023. (Photo courtesy: Stephanie Gallipeau) 
Storm damage near S. 39th and Locust in the Argentine neighborhood of Kansas City, Kansas, July 14, 2023. (Photo courtesy: Rosy Aguirre) 
A tree fell on a home in Leawood after storms Friday, July 14. (Photo by Michaela Pearce) 
A tree fell on a home in Leawood after storms Friday, July 14. (Photo by Michaela Pearce)
FOX4 crews have reported vendor tents blown over at the Wyandotte County Fair on Friday night.
In Douglas County, there have been numerous reports of trees down — some hitting power lines or blocking roads — in Eudora, Lawrence and neighboring towns.
As the storm moves east into Missouri, there have been several reports of damaged trees and downed power lines in Kansas City and Independence, including some that have resulted in fires.
This is a developing story. FOX4 will add more storm updates as information comes in.
