Yesterday’s blizzard forced the closing of many major highways in the area. I-35 form Beto Junction to Emporia was closed for several hours, as well as I-70 from Topeka westward. Officials say that closing the roads actually prevented many accidents from happening. Many people headed the governor’s urging and the Kansas Highway Patrol’s warnings to stay off the roads.
There are only 2 roads closed in the state in far northeastern parts of the state. However, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation’s website, the vast majority of the roads in the state are reported to be partially or completely covered in ice and snow and travel is strongly discouraged this morning.
Roads were not the only areas impacted by the storm. There were quite a few power outages in the area as a result of the storm. Miami County felt the brunt of the outages. Officials in Louisburg, Paola, and Osawatomie opened storm shelters for those who were displaced or in need of warmth. Power was restored in Williamsburg and scattered outages in Ottawa. According to the KCK website there are still scattered outages around the area.
