Jetmore Rallies After Powerful Storm Knocks Out Power
In the early morning of Sunday, May 25, 2025, a severe storm swept through Jetmore, Kansas, bringing strong winds and a little bigger than pea-sized hail. The storm caused major damage to the city’s electrical grid, knocking out power on the west side of town and on the city’s east country line. Several power lines and poles were destroyed, including parts of the system owned by Midwest Energy.
To keep essential services running, city staff activated Jetmore’s municipal generator. City Foreman Brian Beil quickly contacted Steve Porter and Henry Morrow from the Kansas Municipal Energy Agency (KMEA) for help. Henry arrived first to assess the damage and confirmed that more support was needed.
Steve and Henry recommended reaching out to Greg Dumars with Kansas Municipal Utilities (KMU) Mutual Aid. Help soon arrived: the City of Pratt sent three linemen and trucks, while Garden City sent two linemen and equipment.
The top priority was restoring power to the hospital, where four utility poles had been broken. Pratt’s crew handled the hospital repairs, while Garden City’s team worked on the west side of town and replaced two broken pole near PWS Well 12. By 2:30 a.m. Monday, the hospital circuit was back online and many homes had power again.
On Monday, Steve returned to reassess the system and found that 24 more poles needed to be replaced. With limited supplies, he contacted Kent from Garden City to arrange more help.
By Tuesday, a larger team effort was underway. Pratt, Garden City, McPherson BPU, and KMEA Dighton all sent crews and equipment. Teams split up to repair damage across town, while KMEA prepared a new half-mile power line and coordinated the work.
By the end of the day, crews had completed the new line and restored power to all accessible areas. However, 18 to 20 poles remain down in hard-to-reach locations. Over the coming weeks, KMEA-Dighton will continue working with Jetmore to finish repairs, track materials used, and assist with FEMA documentation.
