| Advertisement |
|
|
Update: Wichita has canceled the Emergency Accident Reporting Plan (EARP). If you are involved in a crash, call 911.
Also today, Waste Management says it will not provide any residential service. That includes customers in Wichita, Derby, Belle Plain, Haysville, Peck, Clearwater, Mulvane and Rose Hill.
Many schools across Kansas, including Wichita, have called off class for the day. You'll find a complete list of school and community closings below.
Road conditions are improving, but they are still far from ideal.
The city of Wichita hired extra help to plow the city streets. The city hired 21 contractors to work along with the 50 city plows which were already on the street.
Those crews are working 12-hour shifts to keep the roads plowed. Crews will not plow side streets or residential areas because plowing causes more problems than it solves. Plows push snow up into driveways and onto cars parked along the curb.
The Kansas Department of Transportation has more than 1,000 snowplow drivers working in two shifts to keep highways clear. I-70 was closed by KDOT and the Kansas Highway Patrol from Salina west to Goodland.
The Kansas Highway Patrol and its local law enforcement partners continue to patrol roadways across the state, checking on stranded vehicles and responding to calls for service.
The Kansas National Guard has 12 Humvees and 24 Guardsmen patrolling portions of I-70, Hwy 54 and Hwy 400 to search for stranded travelers. They have not had to transport anyone to shelter, but have passed out food and water to a few travelers and alerted tow trucks of their location.
One truck driver opted to stay with his vehicle since he was already supplied with food, water and plenty of gas.
Wichita Transit is running like normal, but buses may be late. If roads are impassable, they will change routes. Paratransit is contacting clients to see if they need to get out is because of medical conditions. If not, they want clients to stay home otherwise.
Flights out of Wichita are still impacted by this week's snowstorm. You can check the status of your flight online through the Mid-Continent Airport Website: Wichita Arrivals/Departures. You will want to call ahead if you are flying out, or expect a flight in today.