Nikole Babb, nbabb@cherryroad.com
Did you receive an emergency alert on your phone that read to stay home due to the closing of many state and federal highways? It would be smart to listen to that alert unless there is an absolute emergency. The sheet of ice delivered on Saturday mixed with several inches of snow on Sunday make the roads very slick, uneven and unpredictable.
There are currently 33 counties in North Central and Northeastern Kansas that have all state and federal highways shut down. This is due to low visibility, impassable conditions, continuous blizzard white-outs and extreme weather conditions. Those counties include:
Marshall, Nemaha, Brown, Doniphan, Riley, Pottawatomie, Jackson, Atchison, Wabaunsee, Shawnee, Jefferson, Leavenworth, Wyandotte, Douglas, Johnson, Lyon, Osage, Jewell, Republic, Washington, Mitchell, Cloud, Clay, Lincoln, Ottawa, Ellsworth, Saline, Dickinson, Geary, Morris, McPherson, Marion and Chase Counties.
Several first responders in the area are stating that if you do travel and end up in an accident or stranded and stuck, it could be awhile before help will reach you due to the volume of calls and extreme weather conditions.
“We are urging you to avoid traveling due to the fact that emergency services cannot guarantee in these conditions they will reach you in a safe and timely manner,” said the Augusta Department of Public Safety. “Stay home. Stay safe. Keep others safe.”
In addition to those counties there are several highways in Butler County that are marked as closed by the Kansas Department of Transportation, (KDOT), KanDrive app. As of 6:30pm, the following roads have been marked closed by the KDOT:
K 177: Between US 54 and US 56
US 77: Between US 54; KS 254 (El Dorado) and US 50 (Florence)
KS 196: Between I-135 (10 miles west of Whitewater) and KS 254 (near El Dorado)
KS 254: Between I-135 (2 miles west of Benton) and US 54; US 77 (El Dorado)
US 54: Between US 77; KS 254 (near El Dorado) and Butler County/Greenwood County line (near Rosalia)
US 54: Between 143rd Street (near Wichita) and KS 177 (El Dorado)
US 400: Between US 54 (3 miles west of Leon) and Butler County/Greenwood County line (near Beaumont)
US 77: Between KS 15 (1 mile south of Douglass) and US 54 (Augusta)
KTA I-135 continues to be reported as covered in ice, snow or slush at this time from the Oklahoma border to Emporia.
