Florence: Emergency meeting
Staff writer
The Florence community jumped into action Tuesday night after it became apparent the power would not be turned on anytime soon.
By early Wednesday morning, city leaders had made plans for a citywide shelter to open Wednesday afternoon at the Florentine Center.
"We've ordered a generator which should be in Wednesday afternoon. So people wanting a warm place to stay and hot food to eat should come to the Florentine Center," Mayor John Lehman said. "People should bring sleeping bags and food if they'd like to. The center has stoves so they could cook it rather than going bad at home."
Tuesday night, residents were able to keep warm by staying at the Junction Saloon, according to mayor John Lehman.
"The Junction Saloon had a generator, and they stayed open for people to stay overnight," Lehman said.
Lehman was not sure of the figures but said he thought a couple dozen people may have stayed there Tuesday night.
Carriage Manor, a low-income housing center, also opened its door to those needing a place to stay.
"I was just there," Lehman said Wednesday morning, "It's warm, people are well-taken care of, and it's open."
"We had two people there who needed oxygen," Lehman noted.
To handle the emergency, Florence City Council met for a special meeting Wednesday morning with Michelle Abbott-Becker, county emergency management director.
"We used the Junction Saloon as the command center Tuesday night and this morning," he said.
Lehman said Abbott-Becker connected city leaders with American Red Cross representatives.
Tuesday night, city ambulance director Judy Cramer, fire chief Tony Leeds, city superintendent Ken Hoffman, and city councilman Randy Mills, owner of Doyle Creek Ranch, kept busy organizing the various shelters.
"Randy brought us his generator from the ranch," Lehman said. "We have another one coming in from Kansas City in a couple of hours."
Mills also donated 20 pounds of hamburger to be used at the center.
Hoffman and Pat Zogelman, local Westar representative, worked Tuesday night to keep the electricity restored to the city's power and sewer plants.
"We have backup generator in case it gets worse for our water and sewer plants," he said.
