Ark Valley News - Winds pound Valley

In the 800 block of South Meridian in Valley Center, winds fell this large elm tree in David Ray's front yard. “That tree is older than I am, and I'm 67," Ray said. “My dad planted that tree. I used to climb it when I was little."

Winds pound Valley
By Chris Strunk
Last Updated: April 16, 2015

Last week's spring storm packed a punch for north Sedgwick County.

Hail and high winds pummeled parts of Valley Center and north Wichita, splitting trees, knocking out windows and snapping power poles.

Westar crews spent the Easter weekend restoring electricity to 70,000 customers left without it early April 3.

"We have about 1,000 people dedicated to getting your lights back on," Westar said in a news release on Facebook. "We understand this is frustrating and inconvenient. We appreciate your patience."

In Valley Center, the lack of power shut down City Hall for the day April 3.

On Meridian in north Wichita, dozens of power poles were destroyed, and area churches relied on generators to host Easter services.

On North Ridge Road, International Dragway suffered heavy damage from the storm.

Electricity was cut to several homes and businesses in Valley Center for about five hours early April 3, and many stayed that way through April 4.

Westar said the storm took out eight transmission lines and about 300 power poles in south-central Kansas. Newton was particularly hard hit, as was a stretch of northeast Wichita near K-96 and Woodlawn.

Electrical crews from Colorado, Missouri, Iowa and Arkansas helped Westar's repair efforts.

The National Weather Service said wind speeds in the area reached near 90 mph.

At Bartel's True Value Hardware, 506 S. Meridian, a 10-foot-by-14-foot shed was picked up and slammed into the gates on the south side of the business. The shed was destroyed, and the gates were damaged.

Owner Tom Bartel said the roof of the main building was missing a few shingles.

Farther south, in David Ray's front yard at 850 S. Meridian, a large elm tree was on its side, uprooted by the strong winds.

"That tree is older than I am, and I'm 67," Ray said. "My dad planted that tree. I used to climb it when I was little."

The tree crashed on top of a trailer and just missed a nearby car. The tree also brought down the electrical service line to Ray's house.

Three or four power poles were damaged on South Sheridan. One, snapped at the base, was leaning toward Johnson Automotive at 230 S. Sheridan, saved from falling to the ground by the electrical lines themselves.

This was the National Weather Service's account of the storm:

A severe thunderstorm developed near the border of Colorado and Kansas during the night April 2. The storm continued to intensify across central Kansas and took on bow echo-like characteristics. This later produced damaging straight-line winds and large hail across much of central and south-central Kansas.

As the bow-echo approached Sedgwick and Harvey counties, channeled microbursts developed and caused significant straight-line wind damage. The storm continued to move through south-central Kansas during the early morning hours and took on supercellular characteristics as it moved into southeast Kansas, producing hail up to the size of tennis balls.

City opens brush pile

In response to the storm last week, the City of Valley Center's brush pile at the public works facility, 545 W. Clay, will be open to the public through this weekend without an appointment needed. Valley Center residents can drop off brush and tree limbs at this location for free. Residents are encouraged to access the brush pile by taking Industrial Road west to the public works grounds. The brush pile is located just west of the water tower.