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Power goes out, some trees knocked down

By FOSS FARRAR
Traveler Staff Writer
reporter@arkcity.net

Alma Daymude arrived at Daisy Mae's Restaurant early today as a thunderstorm roared through Arkansas City.

The waitress arrived at her workplace at 4 a.m. to find the electricity had been knocked out. Lights blinked off and on the next hour and a half, before power was restored about 6:30 a.m.

"It's Friday the 13th, let it go at that," Daymude said later this morning.

Daisy Mae's was one of about 100 Westar Energy customers that lost power in a storm overnight. The storm brought over an inch of rain to the area and nickel-sized hail.

Power had been restored to all but 35 customers by mid-morning, according to on-line information from Westar Energy.

Despite little rainfall here, Ark City's two rivers are expected to rise rapidly today, reaching flood levels, weather officials said this morning.

An earlier wind storm about 11:37 p.m. caused damage to several rural residences north-east of Winfield, said Brian Stone, Cowley County emergency management coordinator.

That storm knocked over a 500-gallon residential propane tank at 14653 151st Road. Liquid propane leaked out and the Winfield Fire Department was alerted. Firefighters cleaned up the leak and remained on the scene until 1:34 a.m., said Capt. Darryl Littrell, of the Winfield Fire Department.

The high winds also damaged the home, an attached garage, carport, two outbuildings, a camper and several vehicles, Littrell said.

Stone met with National Weather Service officials to visit the scene of the damage to that property and two other residences, he said. At one of them, roof shingles had blown off a roof.

Winds gusted to 75 miles an hour at Geuda Springs early this morning, said Bob Frazee, emergency management coordinator for Ark City.

Minor flooding was expected on the Arkansas and Walnut Rivers in Ark City, Frazee said. City crews planned to shut storm water gates and canal gates on the levee system on the two rivers.

The Walnut was at 7.5 feet this morning, but was expected to reach flood stage of 18 feet later today, Frazee said. On Saturday, it was expected to crest at 19.9 feet.

The Arkansas was 12.3 feet high this morning and was expected to reach flood stage of 17 feet early Saturday morning, he said. It was expected to crest at 19 feet on Saturday afternoon.

Above: A tree fell over at Summit and Linden during an early-morning storm.