By the City of Hutchinson
HUTCHINSON, Kan. – Last night’s severe thunderstorm caused significant damage throughout our city. The City Manager, Public Works Director, Forestry Superintendent, and Street Superintendent are currently forming an evaluation team to assess the extent of the damage and determine our response.
Current Priorities:
Restoring City Functionality:
Ensuring essential services are up and running.
Traffic Signals: Repairing and restoring power to traffic signals across the city. Currently, 18 traffic signals are without power, with 4 being powered by generators. If a traffic signal is off, please treat it as a 4-way stop.
Lift Stations: Monitoring lift stations to maintain sewage management. A crew has been monitoring 20 lift stations without power, running generators as needed.
Clearing Streets: Removing debris to ensure safe and passable roads. City crews have been working overnight to clear streets, pushing limbs into yards. The Forestry Division is assisting when downed limbs are touching private property such as cars or mailboxes.
Important Information for Residents:
Tree Debris on Property: Residents are responsible for removing limbs from their properties. Any trees that have fallen on properties will be placed in yards. Once the city has restored functionality and safety, we will communicate and begin our City wide clean-up efforts.
If there are any trees involving powerlines, please contact Evergy before attempting removal.
Additional Updates:
Our staff has restored operations at the Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) and the Water Treatment Center (WTC).
The Parks Department offices are closed due to a power outage.
Our evaluation has been reviewing the damage around the city since 10 AM today.
Community Support:
The City is planning to partner with community organizations to mobilize volunteers to help clean up for individuals who might need assistance. The Reno County VOAD committee is meeting today at 2:00 PM. More information on this initiative will be provided soon. We are actively evaluating the situation and will provide more information as it becomes available. Thank you for your patience and cooperation.
