News Releases

Kansas City, Mo. - August 26, 2025 – The unofficial end to summer is approaching. Evergy urges families to be safe around electricity this coming Labor Day Weekend.

Whether picnics or outdoor yardwork, here are steps families can take to be safe:

• When hosting a party, keep guests away from power lines or electrical transformers near your home.
• Stay clear of utility pad mounted electrical equipment, which serves underground lines and carries high voltages of electricity.
• Never touch, sit on, or place objects on the electrical equipment.
• Use extension cords specifically designed for outdoor use. Inspect them for frays or other damage before using them.
• When doing yardwork, call 811 before you dig to find out where power lines and other utilities are before starting any digging project.
• Stay clear of downed power lines. Assume that any downed line is energized and stay at least 30 feet from them. Downed lines can be reported online at  http://www.evergy.com/powerlinesafety.

If you are celebrating near water, follow these steps when it comes to water and electricity.

• Do not spray water on power lines or on electrical equipment or structures. A stream of water hitting a power line can create a path for electricity.
• Keep electrical devices away from water.
• Never touch electrical devices when wet.
• Install waterproof covers and ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) on your outdoor outlets.

Evergy offers a variety of important safety information and resources here: https://www.evergy.com/community/safety/electrical-safety.

An Evergy spokesperson is available for interviews on this topic.