Weather

Kansas City, Mo. – The council made up of Kansas City's six major industrial districts is warning that levees holding back rivers are in precarious condition. And money to do restoration work is barely being provided.

Kansas City's lowest lying areas are the industry districts, Central and Northeast Industrial, Dotson, Blue Valley, Swope and Bi State Turkey Creek. There are sixty miles of levees between 30 and more than 50 years old.

Kansas City – Tornadoes raked Kansas and Oklahoma a week ago, killing 5 people. But those storms were minor compared to the one that hit Kansas City on May 20th, 1957. The Ruskin Heights Tornado was among the most powerful ever recorded. It obliterated the new neighborhood that it's named for, and killed dozens of people. KCUR's Walt Bodine was there before the dust cleared.

Kansas City, Mo. – Thunderstorm winds raked a goodly portion of the metro region this morning, tipping trucks, tearing roofs and cutting electricity.

Wind blasts were estimated as high as 85 miles an hour, either as straight line or microburst. As many as 20,000 KCP&L customers in Kansas City, Missouri were without power. Another 10,000 rural homes and businesses in Platte County lost electricity.

The storm affected driving, safety and commerce in hundreds of businesses.

Greater Kansas City – We've had an extended period of bad weather in the Kansas City area, with historic amounts of snow, record low temperatures, and school cancellations - almost everyone's life has been disrupted.

Some are getting a little cabin fever -- like Joyce Lucas, a Kansas City woman who (as of January 6th) had only left her house once since Christmas.

Kansas City, MO – Besieged with complaints about snow removal on residential streets, the Kansas City City Council discussed the matter at length Thursday. And they took their first action to try to improve the service the same day.

The council learned that Kansas City has already overspent its $2.5 million dollar snow removal budget by $300,000, and that situations like the repeated snows and below freezing temperatures are not covered in the city snow removal plan.

Kansas City, MO – Frigid weather, piling snow and school cancellations are keeping many people at home these days. And some might be getting a little cabin fever. KCUR's Sylvia Maria Gross just visited with Joyce Lucas, a Kansas City woman who has only left her house once since Christmas.

Kansas City, MO – Temperatures are forecast to fall, not rise today in the Kansas City region. Those who venture outside will meet a truly brutal combination of weather conditions.

Winds rose as snowfall tapered off not long after midnight leaving from 3 to 5 inches as a rule. Driving became slick yesterday afternoon and continued through the night. The National Weather Service radio from Pleasant Hill noted 3 am winds gusting into the mid 20 mile per hour range and expected to intensify