Kansas City heat wave creates medical concerns

University of Kansas Hospital

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Doctors at The University of Kansas Hospital are warning area residents to take current health warnings seriously.

“Heat and humidity this high frustrates the body’s natural ways to cool itself.  The elderly, the very young and those with health conditions are usually the first the feel the consequences of a heat wave, but this prolonged forecast for high heat and humidity can have an impact on the healthiest people if there is long term exposure to the heat,” says Lee Norman, MD, chief medical officer of The University of Kansas Hospital.

Dr. Norman says hydration is critical for anyone out in the heat even for a brief while.  He says sports drinks which provide electrolytes are preferred but water is also an important option. 

He urges people to avoid alcohol, drinks with caffeine and drinks with carbonation.

Dr. Norman says a key is to pay attention to urination.  If you are not urinating or if it is a dark color, you need to concentrate on hydration.

“Head to the hospital if you are not urinating, are becoming confused or disoriented.  If you’re exhibiting the early signs, get hydrated.  If you are home and not in air conditioning, take cool baths or dab yourself with a wet towel in front of a fan,” warns Dr. Norman.

WEATHER: Wyandotte County could see largest snow storm this winter on Saturday

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- The National Weather Service is predicting a significant snow-fall event for Wyandotte County and the rest of the Kansas City metro area this Saturday. 

An early forecast predicts 3-to-6 inches of snow for Kansas City on Saturday.

More information from the National Weather Service:

Bitter cold will stick with us into Friday before temperatures moderate over the weekend, but with warmer temperatures will come snow.  

Expect snowfall to arrive in eastern Kansas and far western Missouri some time Saturday morning, spreading across the rest of Missouri through Saturday afternoon. This could be a long event, but snow should start to taper off by Sunday morning with all the snowfall moving to our east by Sunday night.  

Current forecast totals range as high as 3 to 6 inches due the expected length of time over which the snow will occur across Kansas and northern Missouri.  

More precipitation will be possible Monday night into Tuesday; and with warming temperatures we expect any precipitation by Tuesday to be all liquid rain.

Kansas Division of Emergency Management urges Kansans to be prepared for winter storm this weekend

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- With a new round of winter storms set to enter the state late Thursday, the Kansas Division of Emergency Management is again urging Kansans to make sure they are prepared.

“The National Weather Service is forecasting, widespread accumulating snow likely by late Sunday,” said Angee Morgan, deputy director of KDEM.

Morgan said snowfall accumulation will vary from 1-3 inches in some areas to about 4-6 inches in other areas. She added there is even a potential for higher amounts if a heavy snow band develops early Sunday, but development of this band is uncertain.

Winter Weather Advisory issued for Wyandotte County

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for Wyandotte County and the entire Kansas City metro area. 

Around 1-3 inches of snow is expected for the area.

Warming centers available in Wyandotte County

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----  Below are available warming centers across Wyandotte County.

If you know someone who may be in need of one, pass this around!
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KANSAS CITY KAN., PUBLIC LIBRARIES: 
  
Main Branch:     625 Minnesota Avenue, KCK
Hours:   8:30 AM till 8:30 PM, Monday through Thursday
8:30 AM till 5:00 PM, Friday and Saturday
1:00 PM till 5:00 PM, Sunday

South Branch:    3104 Strong Avenue, KCK
Hours:  9:00 AM till 9:00 PM, Monday through Thursday
9:30 AM till 5:00 PM, Friday and Saturday
1:00 PM till 5:00 PM, Sunday

Wyandotte West Branch: 1737 North 82 Street, KCK
Hours:    9:00 AM till 9:00 PM, Monday through Thursday
9:00 AM till 5:00 PM, Friday and Saturday
1:00 PM till 5:00 PM, Sunday      

TURNER COMMUNITY LIBRARY:      831 South 55 Street, KCK
Hours:    Noon till 8:00 PM, Monday through Thursday
10:00 AM till 5:00 PM, Friday
10:00 AM till 2:00 PM, Saturday
Closed on Sunday

TURNER RECREATION COMMISSION:    831 South 55 Street, KCK
Hours:    8:00 AM to 8:30 PM, Monday through Thursday
8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Friday
10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, Saturday
Closed on Sunday

BONNER SPRINGS/EDWARDSVILLE LIBRARY: 201 North Nettleton, Bonner       
Hours:  9:00 AM till 8:00 PM, Monday through Friday
9:00 AM till 5:00 PM, Saturday
1:00 PM till 5:00 PM, Sunday

BONNER SPRINGS COMMUNITY CENTER:  200 East 3rd Street, Bonner Springs
Hours: 8:00 AM till 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday

WYANDOTTE COUNTY PARKS & RECREATION – Community Centers
      
Armourdale Community Center – 730 Osage, KCK
Hours 2:00 PM till 9:00 PM, Monday through Friday

Eisenhower Community Center – 2901 North 72, KCK
Hours 9:00 AM  till 9:00 PM, Monday through Friday

Joe E Amayo Sr./Argentine Community Center – 2810 Metropolitan, KCK
Hours 9:00 AM till 9:00 PM, Monday through Friday

John F Kennedy Community Center - 1310 N 10th St.                
Hours 2:00 PM till 9:00 PM, Monday through Friday

Patricia Kane Community Center -  3130 N 122nd St.
Hours 2:00 PM till 9:00 PM, Monday through Friday
  

KANSAS CITY KANSAS CITY HALL LOBBY: 701 North 7 Street, KCK
Hours: 8:00 AM till 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday

WILLA GILL CENTER:    645 Nebraska, KCK      
Hours: 9:00 AM till 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM till 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday
9:00 AM till 12:45 PM, Saturday, Sunday and Holidays

PUBLIC HOUSING HIGH RISE, Cafeteria Area:     915 Washington Blvd, KCK
Hours: 9:00 AM till 4:00 PM Daily

MT. CARMEL COGIC, South Wing: 2025 North 12 Street,      
Hours: 10:00 AM till 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday

GREATER KANSAS CITY YMCA

PROVIDENCE YMCA/BALL FAMILY CENTER: 8601 Parallel Parkway, KCK
Hours:  5:30 AM till 10:00 PM, Monday through Thursday
5:30 AM till 9:00 PM, Friday
7:00 AM till 7:00 PM, Saturday
8:00 AM till 6:00 PM, Sunday

   

WEATHER: Bitter cold expected this week

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- The National Weather Service is predicting a bitterly cold week for the Kansas City metro area this week. 

Below zero wind chills are expected throughout the week.

Forecast:

• Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 25. Wind chill values between -1 and 9. Light and variable wind becoming south southeast 6 to 11 mph in the afternoon.

• Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 17. South wind 10 to 14 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.

• Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 23. North northwest wind 6 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.

• Tuesday Night: Scattered flurries. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 5. Wind chill values between -1 and -6. North wind 6 to 11 mph increasing to 13 to 18 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph.

• Wednesday: Sunny and cold, with a high near 7. North northwest wind 10 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.

• Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 0.

• Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 28.

• Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 13.

Two KCK residents taken to hospital due to cold

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- The Kansas City, Kan., Fire Department has responded to two cold-exposure calls, requiring both individuals to visit the hospital.

More information:

Kansas City Kansas Fire Department has already run two (2) cold exposure calls within the last 24 hours, requiring transport of the patients to local area hospital. These two individuals were seen by passer byes who called 911. 

We are asking the public to be mindful of those less fortunate.  

To check on their elderly neighbors during these upcoming cold winter months, and be aware of their pets needs too during extreme cold weather.

WEATHER: No snow in the forecast for Christmas

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- Those Kansas City residents who are dreaming of a White Christmas will have to keep dreaming according to the National Weather Service.

There's no snow in the forecast to begin the week. 

WEATHER: New National Weather Service forecast calls for 2-4 inches of snow

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- The National Weather Service is forecasting more snow for the Kansas City metro area.

Originally predicting a 1-2 inch snow "storm," the new forecast map has shifted the stronger parts of the storm east.

WEATHER: Are you ready for some snow?

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- Wyandotte County may have its first measurable snow accumulation by Wednesday night.

WEATHER: Good news, a warm up is coming

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- The last two days were particularly cold, but a warm up is around the corner.

The high for today will be 33 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

The good news: No snow is in the forecast and by the end of the week, the high temperature could hit 50 degrees.

Full forecast from the National Weather Service here:

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 33. West northwest wind 8 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 21. West northwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 39. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the afternoon. 

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 26. East wind around 6 mph. 

Friday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 43. 

Friday Night: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39. Chance of precipitation is 30%. 

Saturday: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 52. Chance of precipitation is 40%. 

Saturday Night: A chance of rain. Cloudy, with a low around 41. Chance of precipitation is 50%. 

Sunday: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 51. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

WEATHER: Record cold to hit Kansas City metro area

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- The Kansas City metro area was spared from a significant snowfall event this past weekend.

However, according to the National Weather Service, Kansas City could have a winter event these next two days.

Record cold temperature.

Bundle up....here's the two-day forecast:

Record cold is expected tomorrow into Tuesday morning. Highs Monday will be in the upper teens to low 20s with wind chills in the single digits as gusty winds prevail from the northwest. Lows on Tuesday morning will drop into the single digits to around 10 degrees with wind chill values dropping below 0.

Wind will be gusty through the day Monday, helping keep wind chill values suppressed in the single digits and lower. Tuesday morning the wind wont be as strong, but will still be sufficient to push wind chill values below zero by sunrise Tuesday.

Over 1,300 without power in KCK

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- Tonight's storms brought in a significant amount of rainfall. The storms also knocked out power for several Board of Public Utilities customers.

As of 2:10 a.m. Thursday morning, 1,376 BPU customers were without power.

Below are the locations of the two largest outages in Wyandotte County as of early Thursday morning.

Drought watch declared for Wyandotte County

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback has issued a "drought watch" for Wyandotte County.

More information from Topeka:

Despite recent rains, drought conditions in Kansas continue to worsen. Today Governor Sam Brownback updated the Drought Declaration for Kansas counties with Executive Order 14-04.  The update includes all 105 counties either in an emergency, warning or watch status. This order places more than half of Kansas counties in an emergency drought status.

“Kansans need to know no matter where you live in the state, the drought is not over. Some areas have been experiencing drought for almost five years,” said Governor Brownback.  “Continued below normal precipitation patterns are not only depleting the little soil moisture we have, but is resulting in below normal levels in our reservoirs and further decline of our stream flow conditions.”

The updated drought declaration has moved 26 counties into a warning status and 23 into a watch status while 56 counties are in emergency status. This action was recommended by Tracy Streeter, Director of the Kansas Water Office and Chair of the Governor’s Drought Response Team.

“It is imperative we closely monitor conditions for the state as they could deteriorate quickly with no reserves as we start to enter warmer and drier months,” said Tracy Streeter. “Some areas of Kansas are behind more than seven inches in soil moisture and the seasonal outlook shows increased drought conditions shifting farther east than originally projected.”

Counties still in emergency stage remain eligible for emergency use of water from certain state fishing lakes due to the Kansas Water Office (KWO) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Kansas Department of Wildlife (KDWPT).

Individuals and communities need to contact KWO for a water supply request prior to any withdrawals from lakes.  They will in turn be referred to the appropriate KDWPT office to obtain the necessary permit to withdraw the water.

This Executive Order shall remain in effect for those counties so identified until rescinded by Executive Order or superseded by a subsequent Executive Order revising the drought stage status of the affected counties.  Effective immediately:

• Declare a Drought Emergency, Warning or Drought Watch for the counties identified below;

• Authorize and direct all agencies under the jurisdiction of the Governor to implement the appropriate watch or warning level-drought response actions assigned in the Operations Plan of the Governor’s Drought Response Team.

The Governor’s Drought Response Team will continue to watch the situation closely and work to minimize the effects the drought has on Kansans.  For more detailed information about current conditions, see the Kansas Climate Summary and Drought Report on the Kansas Water Office website at: www.kwo.org

County Drought Stage Declarations:

Drought Emergency: Barber, Barton, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cheyenne, Clark, Comanche, Cowley, Decatur, Edwards, Ellis, Ellsworth, Finney, Ford, Gove, Graham, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Hamilton, Harper, Harvey, Haskell, Hodgeman, Kearny, Kingman, Kiowa, Lane, Lincoln, Logan, Lyon, Meade, Morton, Ness, Norton,  Pawnee, Pratt, Rawlins, Reno, Rice, Rush, Russell, Scott, Sedgwick, Seward, Sheridan, Sherman, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens, Sumner, Thomas, Trego, Wallace, Wichita 

Drought Warning: Cherokee, Cloud, Coffey, Crawford, Dickinson, Douglas, Elk, Greenwood, Jewell, Labette, Marion, McPherson, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morris, Neosho, Osage, Osborne, Ottawa, Phillips, Rooks, Republic, Saline, Smith, Washington, Wilson 

Drought Watch: Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Bourbon, Brown, Clay, Doniphan, Franklin, Geary, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Leavenworth, Linn, Marshall, Miami, Nemaha, Pottawatomie, Riley, Shawnee, Wabaunsee, Woodson, Wyandotte

Climatologist: Don't get caught in a storm without your helmet and tennis shoes

KANSAS CITY, KAN. — With severe weather on the way, it's important to have a plan. A Kansas State University climatologist says that plan should include an emergency kit, including a helmet and tennis shoes.

"The best warning in the world with the most advance knowledge is not going to help if people don't proactively respond to that and seek the shelter that they need," said Mary Knapp, service climatologist in the university's agronomy department.

Tornadoes have already taken several lives this year, and severe weather season is far from over. Knapp says it is critical to have a severe weather plan for you and your family, not only for your home but other places you are throughout the day like work and school.

Also have an emergency kit ready to go. The kit should include food, water, a weather radio, cash and your medication. Having some type of helmet nearby also is useful.

"When they did an analysis of the Joplin tornado, one of the things that came to the attention of emergency management professionals was that there were a lot of head injuries," Knapp said. "So put a bicycle helmet or another kind of protective head gear on during a tornado to reduce the risk of head injury from debris or falling structures."

Knapp suggests getting underneath a sturdy support to avoid the debris during a tornado. Also, put on some tennis shoes to prepare for the large amount of debris following the storm.

"After an event like that, there's a lot of broken glass all over the place," Knapp said. "It can be in the carpet, it can be in the grass. Having sturdy shoes is your best protection. By sturdy shoes I don't mean flip-flops, I mean tennis shoes or boots."

Keep in mind that tornadoes are not the only threat that comes with severe weather. Flash flooding, hail and heavy winds also can be hazardous, so keep your eye on the sky and always have a plan.

Tornado watch issued for Wyandotte County

A tornado watch has been issued for Wyandotte County and the Kansas City metro area.

The watch is in place until 7 p.m. Sunday evening.

Strong storms are entering Kansas City now. They have a history of producing dime to nickel-sized hail, along with gusty winds and heavy rain.
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UPDATE 7:06 p.m.: The tornado watch has been extended to 2 a.m.

Strong cells have made it through the area, but it appears another round is on the way.

______

UPDATE: 7:44 p.m.: Per Erin Little on KMBC Channel 9, a stormspotter in Bonner Springs is reporting that a storm-cell brought an inch of rain to Bonner Springs in just seven minutes.

A flood advisory has also been issued until 9:30 p.m.

PHOTO: Rainfall for April 24

Here is the total rainfall amounts for the Kansas City metro area for April 24, courtesy of the National Weather Service.

KCK Fire Department lifts burning ban

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- The Kansas City, Kan., Fire Department has lifted the temporary open burn ban.

More information:

The temporary open burn ban in place has been lifted for today April 18, 2014. Weather conditions will be monitored the next few days to determine if a temporary burn ban will be reinstated. Residents are reminded that a burn permit is required for open burning and all safety requirements and conditions noted on the burn permit must be followed.

Expect to see spring pests despite extreme cold winter

MANHATTAN, KAN. — We are finally catching a break from the long, cold winter, but if you're hoping that the extreme cold has killed off spring pests, you're out of luck, according to Jeff Whitworth, associate professor of entomology at Kansas State University.

"Whether they're going to survive is not the question," Whitworth said. "It's probably how many are going to survive."

Whitworh says you're going to need to pull out bug spray this spring. Insects start coming out around the same time flowers start blooming. While we may see fewer insects at first, most of the insects will survive the colder temperatures.

Bugs have adapted procedures, like producing antifreeze or crawling into a warmer area, to protect themselves from the harsh temperatures in the winter. Even though temperatures this winter were colder than usual, Whitworth says these adaptive techniques help them survive.

"Insects are heterotherms," Whitworth said. "They are 100 percent controlled by temperatures."

Whitworth says warmer weather is more detrimental to insects than extreme cold.

Winter storm warning issued for Wyandotte County

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- A winter storm warning will be in effect from 6 p.m. tonight to midnight on Sunday.

The National Weather Service is now forecasting 5 to 8 inches of snow through Sunday evening.

More from the National Weather Service:

* A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SLEET AND SNOW REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO MIDNIGHT CST SUNDAY NIGHT.

* TIMING...SNOW WILL DEVELOP BY EARLY SATURDAY EVENING ACROSS FAR NORTHERN MISSOURI...SPREADING SOUTHWARD OVERNIGHT. SNOW SHOULD BEGIN TO TAPER OFF FROM NORTH TO SOUTH BY MIDDAY SUNDAY.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...5 TO 8 INCHES ARE EXPECTED THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE.

* IMPACTS...AREAS OF LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW WILL CAUSE ROADWAYS TO BE SNOW PACKED. WINDS BETWEEN 15 AND 20 MPH WILL CAUSE VISIBILITY PROBLEMS SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING.

* TEMPERATURES...BITTERLY COLD AIR WILL MOVE IN BEHIND THE SNOW. HIGH TEMPERATURES SUNDAY MAY ONLY REACH THE SINGLE DIGITS. EXPECT LOWS ON MONDAY MORNING TO FALL TO 5 TO 10 DEGREES BELOW ZERO. NORTH WINDS BETWEEN 10 AND 15 MPH WILL CAUSE WIND CHILL VALUES TO DROP TO DANGEROUSLY COLD VALUES BETWEEN 15 AND 20 DEGREES BELOW ZERO EARLY MONDAY MORNING.