Flooding, tornado affect UP operations in Midwest NEWSWIRE

OMAHA, Neb. – Five Union Pacific subdivisions in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas are out-of-service Thursday as a result of extreme weather in that part of the country and the railroad is warning customers that the worst might be yet to come.

UP officials say the Cherokee Subdivision between Parsons, Kan., and McAlester, Okla.; the Parsons Subdivision between Paola and Parsons, Kan.; the River Subdivision between Kansas City and Jefferson City, Mo..; the Wagoner Subdivision between Coffeyville, Kan., and Van Buren, Ark.; and the Oklahoma City Subdivision between El Reno, Okla., and Oklahoma City are all out-of-service as of Thursday morning.

Additionally, a tornado that touched down in Jefferson City, Mo., on Wednesday night knocked down wires on to the UP main line, temporarily disrupting service. No one was killed in the tornado that ripped through Jefferson City, but three lives were lost near Golden City when a twister touched down in that community.

UP was warning customers to expect shipment delays of 48 to 72 hours.

“Severe weather is forecast to continue, likely impacting the Southern Region through the Memorial Day holiday weekend,” officials say. “We will continue to monitor track conditions for washouts during this time, and we have positioned resources so crews can react quickly to any additional service interruptions.”