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More than 500 poles damaged as severe weather moved through overnight

Kansas City, Mo., June 9, 2026 – Evergy crews have restored power to about 75% of customers impacted by strong storms that moved across Kansas overnight. Over the course of the storm, 118,000 customers lost power. As of 6 p.m. today, just over 27,000 remain without power.

Straight-line winds caused significant damage, resulting in outages in Salina, Abilene, Junction City, Manhattan, Topeka and surrounding communities. More than 500 poles across the region either snapped in half or were so severely damaged by the storm that they need to be replaced.

The most significant damage was in Salina, where 115 mph winds uprooted large trees, took down power poles and lines, and left the entire city without power at one point last night. Evergy crews and contractors have been repairing the damage, but large sections of the power grid have to be rebuilt, including 200 poles to be replaced in Salina alone. Crews will continue restoration work in the Salina and Abilene areas throughout the week.

In Topeka, about 25,000 customers were without power at the storm’s peak. High winds caused extensive damage to trees and the power grid. Evergy expects restoration for Topeka to be complete late Wednesday evening. As of 6 p.m. today, approximately 4,100 customers in the Topeka area are without power.

Additional areas with significant damage include Manhattan and Junction City, where power restoration is expected to be complete by late Wednesday afternoon.

With additional severe storms in the forecast for Kansas and Missouri this week, power restoration may take longer with inclement weather. Working safely and quickly, Evergy crews will work around the clock until they can restore power to all customers.

Customers should always stay at least 30 feet from downed power lines, and assume they are still electrified. In an emergency, call 911 and then contact Evergy.

About Evergy
Evergy, Inc. (NASDAQ: EVRG), serves 1.7 million customers in Kansas and Missouri. Evergy’s mission is to empower a better future. We are leading the way in delivering affordable, reliable and sustainable energy that creates the foundation for thriving and growing communities. Our focus is on delivering reliable power while keeping bills as low as possible. We value innovation and adaptability to give our customers better ways to manage their energy use, to create a safe and rewarding workplace for our employees and to add value for our investors. Headquartered in Kansas City, our employees live, work and volunteer in the communities we serve.

For more information about Evergy, visit us at www.evergy.com.

Media Contact:
Gina Penzig
Director, Corporate Communications
Phone: 785-508-2410       
Gina.Penzig@evergy.com               
Media line: 888-613-0003

Courtney Lewis
Sr. Communications Manager, Media
Phone: 816-878-9650
Courtney.Lewis@evergy.com
Media line: 888-613-0003