Ark Valley News - Winter takes a toll

Valley Center city crews clear North Ash on Feb. 15. The road crews were out Feb. 14 and 16, as well, making sure roads were passable.

Winter takes a toll
By The News staff
Last Updated: February 25, 2021

Freezing temperatures and a heavy dose of snow all but paralyzed north Sedgwick County this week as an Arctic blanket descended on the area.

Snow accumulation was mixed across south-central Kansas, but the Wichita area received 3 inches on Feb. 14 and about a half inch on Feb. 15.

Severe cold was the main concern, and it was made worse for many businesses and residents by the utility company Evergy's announcement it would implement rolling blackouts to help meet demand for electricity during peak times.

The company said Southwest Power Pool, which manages the electric grid in a 17-state region, called a regional system emergency Feb. 15 and requested electric companies to implement brief emergency power outages.

Evergy interrupted about 60,000 customers for about 30 minutes early in the afternoon of Feb. 15. The Wichita area was affected.

Southwest Power Pool lifted the emergency restrictions on Feb. 16, but Evergy said it remained on standby in case Southwest called for additional emergency power outages.

Meanwhile, Evergy on Feb. 15 issued a plea to residents to conserve energy by setting thermostats to 65 to 68, avoiding the use of electric space heaters, closing blinds and shades and turning off unnecessary lights and appliances.

Authorities said roads were slick in spots in north Sedgwick County. In Valley Center, plows were out on Feb. 14 and continued to work throughout the morning Feb. 15.

"Not too bad if people take it nice and easy," public safety director Lloyd Newman said.

Patchy snow and ice on area roads led to a couple of minor traffic accidents last week, including a two-vehicle collision at 69th and Meridian.

A parked vehicle was struck in the 800 block of South Abilene on Feb. 9, and a mailbox was hit in the 8100 block of North Seneca on Feb. 11.

No injuries were reported.

In a news release Feb. 15, AAA Kansas reported its emergency roadside assistance towing and battery service crews responded to 1,313 rescue calls Feb. 8 through 14, a 101 percent increase from the previous week. Of those calls, 999 were for dead car batteries or other cold-weather engine failures that required the vehicle to be towed. Flat tires were another common reason for assistance calls from AAA members.

"We have all of our crews and tow trucks and battery service vehicles out on the roads, working in the elements to meet the high demand," said Shawn Steward, AAA Kansas spokesman.

School in Valley Center was not in session Feb. 15 because teachers had an in-service day. Schools went into all-remote learning across the district Feb. 16 as freezing temperatures persisted.

School was expected to return to COVID-level normal on Feb. 17.

HVAC companies were busy throughout the area this week as furnaces battled to keep up with demand.

The response prompted Bryan's Heating & Air in Valley Center to post tips for residences and businesses on social media. They included setting programmable thermostats to hold, making sure filters are clean, closing garage doors, checking on side wall vents and not worrying if the heater isn't maintaining the inside temperature as long as it's running.