Jefferson County residents happy to return home after storm

Today’s weather

The National Weather Advisory has issued a snow and blowing snow advisory, which will be in effect from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. today.

Sarah Jones, 6News meteorologist, said a cold front will move through Douglas County beginning early this morning. The cold front will bring wind gusts as strong as 30 mph and 3 to 5 inches of snow. Today’s high will start at 35 degrees but decline most of the day, Jones said. She said with the strong wind, it will feel more like 15 degrees.

The snow and wind should taper off this evening. The overnight low will be 14 degrees, Jones said.

The Kansas Department of Transportation advises travelers to exercise extreme caution because visibility will be poor.

Sunday will be sunny with a high of 34 degrees.

Home sweet home.

One Jefferson County family recently returned home after spending six days in a hotel because a large ice storm knocked out their power.

“It was so wonderful,” Jennifer Veerkamp said of being back home. “I went through every room and told it hello. The hotel, as nice as it was, it was just awful to be there so long.”

Like most county residents, the only property damage Veerkamp and her relatives sustained was rotten food in refrigerators and freezers, and damaged trees.

By Friday, electricity had been restored to all but three of the 5,547 Westar Energy customers in Jefferson County, according to the firm’s Web site. The three customers were in the McLouth area.

All customers of the county’s other main power company, Leavenworth-Jefferson Electric Cooperative, had power.

“We’re down to just a handful of people without power,” said Jefferson County Emergency Management director Doug Schmitt. “Mainly, we’re spending a lot of time picking up tree limbs out of the streets.”

There is considerable tree damage in Jefferson County, said David Hallauer, county horticulturist.

“It really just took the tops off of them, especially the Siberian elms and silver maples,” he said.

After the Dec. 11 storm, shelters were open in several Jefferson County locations. Most residents who used the shelters did so to warm up and eat hot food, Schmitt said. Few stayed overnight.

“I think people are just a lot more comfortable sleeping in their own bed even if it is 40 degrees in there,” Schmitt said.

Beginning Wednesday, representatives from the state and Federal Emergency Management Agency will begin surveying damage sustained from the ice storm.

The state also is under a federal emergency declaration, which includes all 105 counties. It allows direct federal assistance to any federal agency that has helped the state and local governments with bringing in generators, removing debris and providing water.

State officials do not expect damage to uninsured private property to be significant enough to meet federal criteria for disaster reimbursements.

Jefferson County storm damage