SE Kansas City News

The City of Independence has outlined its strategy for handling Winter Storm Blair, emphasizing public safety and efficient snow removal. Residents are advised to stay home if possible to ensure their own safety and facilitate the work of emergency personnel, including road crews, police officers, and firefighters.

Residents should keep vehicles off the streets to allow snow plows to operate more effectively. The city's snow removal plan is divided into three stages: priority roads with high traffic volumes, secondary streets connecting priority roads to residential areas, and finally residential streets themselves. Snow removal operations will continue around the clock during storm events with crews working in 12-hour shifts.

The city offers a "PlowTracker" tool for residents to track snow plows in real-time. Any concerns about snow removal can be reported via the SNOW Line at 816-325-SNOW (7669).

For those concerned about power outages, Independence Power & Light (IPL) is prepared to respond as needed. Outages can be reported by calling IPL at (816) 325-7550.

In case of severe weather affecting public transportation, paratransit and IRIS services may face delays or suspensions when road conditions become hazardous.

While the city does not operate a warming center, residents can visit the Sermon Center during business hours or use facilities at branches of the Mid-Continent Public Library serving as warming centers.

The Missouri Department of Transportation maintains certain roads in Independence, including major highways like I-70 and US 40 Hwy. For current road conditions on these routes, residents are encouraged to consult MoDOT's Traveler Information Map.

For updates on winter storm events and related information, residents are urged to follow the City of Independence's social media channels on Facebook, Twitter/X, and Nextdoor.