Utility companies closely watching grid amid frigid temperatures
Local utility companies are making extra preparations with a blast of Arctic temperatures set to grip St. Joseph and Northwest Missouri over the coming days.
An Extreme Cold Watch in effect until Thursday morning is set to bring dangerously cold wind chills as low as 25 below zero, conditions that could put tremendous pressure on water, heating and electricity for local customers.
Companies like Spire, Missouri American Water and Evergy are on heightened standby with additional staffing and resources to monitor the grid and address potential weather-related disruptions like pipe bursts or power outages.
“With this extreme weather, we’ve added increased staffing levels during those shifts … it makes it easier to respond to any issues that could come up because of this winter weather,” said Courtney Lewis, Evergy senior communications manager. “We want our customers to know we are prepared. We will have enough energy to meet our customers’ needs in this.”
As an added precaution, Lewis encourages residents to be ready if event outages do occur by preparing an emergency kit stocked with food, water, a warm blanket and a charged cell phone.
“Make sure that you download the Evergy app. That’s the best way to report those outages, and it also gives you access to our outage map to see how widespread or not widespread outages are,” Lewis said. “Extreme temperatures like this, it does have an impact on the grid and any mechanical equipment, including vehicles.”
Spire operations manager Johnny Bunton said the natural gas company will be closely monitoring local heating and pressure systems as numerous customers raise their thermostats to combat subzero temperatures.
The company is also providing additional boots on the ground so crews can move on emergency repairs at a moment’s notice if needed.
“We actually store a full set of emergency response equipment inside. That way, we can respond to emergencies as quickly as possible,” Bunton said. “We look at past accumulations and cold snaps to try and predict as much as we can so we’re not having the last minute turn pressures up. We can plan for that.”
For customers trying to keep their gas bill as low as possible through the coming days, Bunton recommends keeping temperatures steady and avoiding drastic and sudden increases or back-and-forth fluctuations.
The National Weather Service is warning that subzero temperatures in the coming days could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes for thousands of residents across Missouri and Kansas. Those who must go outside are advised to dress in layers, including a hat, face mask and gloves.
“We’re expecting hopefully no major instances. But we are expecting things to happen. As things thaw and refreeze, ice can accumulate on meters on the side of the house.”
To prevent water pipes from freezing or bursting, wrap or drain or allow them to drip slowly. Pet owners are also advised to keep animals indoors as much as possible.
