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Emergency manager reports March 10 downburst; county upgrades communications towers and backup power
Summary
Amber Presley, Coffey County emergency management director, told commissioners that a March 10 straight‑line wind/downburst damaged structures near the county’s southeast border but caused no injuries; she also outlined training and regional exercises and a communications‑tower/UPS update from the county’s tech team.
Amber Presley, Coffey County’s emergency management director, briefed the commission on a March 10 weather event that produced concentrated straight‑line winds and local property damage.
“The National Weather Service classified this as straight line wind in a downburst,” Presley said, describing a wind core she said was about two miles wide with peak winds of 80 to 85 miles per hour. Presley said the event caused property damage in the south and east ends of the county, including flipped trailers and bowed garage windows, but reported no injuries.
Presley also said the county hosted an annual National Weather Service storm‑spotter presentation that drew 42 attendees, and she flagged training limitations because many FEMA and Homeland Security training resources are currently unavailable to her office. She said state training remains accessible and that county staff will pursue required accreditation and exercises where possible.
Communications‑infrastructure work was described as progressing. Technician Austin Lee told commissioners that three tower sites now have erected structures and delivered shelter houses and generators; one site (LeRoy) is further along and lehi/Levo and Grizzly/Bloomington have civil and electrical work under way. Lee said fiber runs and rack installation are scheduled and that he is coordinating with vendors (Motorola, TFM, MT Networks) to energize each site.
Lee also reported on the county’s UPS/battery‑backup assessment for the radio room and dispatch infrastructure and said he was running load tests to determine whether to expand the UPS system; a staff member offered to contribute half of the cost for the upgrade.
Why it matters: The storm update identifies vulnerabilities for residents and county facilities; the communications and UPS upgrades are intended to increase system resilience for emergency response. Commissioners asked for continued status updates and timeline estimates as vendors confirm delivery and installation dates.
What’s next: Presley and Lee said they will return with more detailed schedules and cost information as vendors finalize delivery and installation timelines.
