Wichita ? Damage to buildings, livestock and infrastructure from the ice and snow that struck western Kansas starting in late December will likely make it the costliest storm ever to hit the state, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said.

“The numbers coming in from FEMA on utility losses alone are $350 (million) to $500 million. We lost more than 9,000 power poles and hundreds of miles of power lines,” Sebelius said Wednesday during an address at the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce Chairman’s Breakfast.

Hundreds of homes and businesses are still without power after losing electricity in the storm that began Dec. 28 and lasted into the new year.

Sebelius pointed out that millions of dollars in losses to the livestock industry remain to be tabulated.

Steve Irsik, who owns dairy, feedlot and grain handling operations in western Kansas, said the losses will be huge. The feedlots of western Kansas, with more than 2 million head of cattle on feed, will lose as much as $150 million to $200 million just on lost weight, he said.

“Add in the death loss and months of added losses because of pneumonia, feet problems from wet conditions and mastitis in the dairies, and it mounts up and up,” he said.

In addition, operating costs for running generators, fuel costs to run equipment to clear snow and ice, and lost business will add to the final price.

At Sunflower Electric, spokesman Steve Miller said 1,650 meters systemwide are still off-line, 125 at residences.

“We have a lot of stories of losses and tragedy,” he said. “But there have been far more stories of heroism and people helping each other out here, including our government officials. The response was immediate. All the emergency management officials were great to work with. That has been inspiring.”

Kansas is the nation’s second-largest cattle-feeding state behind Texas, with an estimated 6.65 million head of cattle on ranches and feedlots, according to the Kansas Livestock Association. Nearly 24 percent of the nation’s cattle is shipped each year to vast feed yards in western Kansas for fattening before they are slaughtered.