A mast pulled loose after a Kansas storm is one of the more urgent electrical situations a homeowner can have, and the sequence for dealing with it is not intuitive.
Here is that sequence, in order.
First: understand what is energized
The conductors inside a mast are on the utility side of the main breaker. There is no overcurrent device between them and the transformer on the street.
Turning off the main breaker in the house does nothing to them. They remain live, at full service voltage, regardless of what any switch inside the house is doing.
That is why a damaged mast is treated differently from any other electrical damage on a property.
Second: keep everyone away
No ladders. No moving branches that are touching anything. No photographs from close range. No securing it with rope until help arrives.
Assume it is live. It almost certainly is, even if the house has no power, because the house losing power and the conductors being de-energized are two different things.
Third: call the utility
Evergy first, before an electrician, before insurance, before anything.
They will de-energize the drop if that is required, which is what makes the situation safe for everyone who comes afterward.
Keep the outage number somewhere retrievable without power and without a phone signal, because that is the exact circumstance in which you will want it.
Fourth: photograph from a distance
Once it is safe to be in the vicinity, photograph the damage. One frame taking in the whole assembly, drop and attachment point and wall together. Closer shots, using zoom rather than proximity, of the mast base, the standoffs, the weatherhead and the meter socket.
That set serves an insurance claim, lets an electrician quote before arriving, and establishes which side of the ownership line the damage sits on.
Fifth: know which parts are yours
The mast is yours. The service entrance conductors inside it are yours. The weatherhead is yours. The meter socket enclosure is yours.
The drop from the pole is the utility's. The meter itself is the utility's.
This split means most mast repairs involve both parties. An electrician repairs the homeowner side; the utility disconnects to allow that work and reconnects afterward.
Sixth: get the permit before the repair
Service work in Wichita and unincorporated Sedgwick County requires a permit from the Metro Area Building and Construction Department, whose office is at 271 W 3rd St N Suite 101 and answers on (316) 660-1840. Andover properties go through their own city, sitting as they do in Butler County.
Evergy generally will not reconnect until the inspection has passed. That sequencing is why the permit needs pulling at the start rather than treated as paperwork to sort out afterwards. Getting Electrician Wichita Pros team or another licensed contractor to handle it as the first step, rather than after the physical repair, is what keeps a one-day job from becoming a three-day outage.
Seventh: expect scope to expand
A mast that has been levered by wind or a falling limb has usually stressed more than the pipe.
The conductors inside may be damaged where they bend at the weatherhead. The standoffs may have pulled through sheathing into framing that is now compromised. The meter socket may have been twisted enough to break its seal, letting water in. The connection at the panel may have been pulled.
An honest quote on mast damage is conditional, because some of this is only visible once the assembly comes apart.
What the code will require on the rebuild
Repairs bring the work to current requirements, which for Sedgwick County means the 2023 National Electrical Code edition adopted at the start of 2025.
That affects mast height above the roof, clearances over driveways, walkways and the roof surface, weatherhead position relative to the attachment, and the grounding arrangement at the service.
Older installations frequently do not meet current clearances, which is why a repaired mast is sometimes taller than the original.
The preventive version
Two things done in calm weather prevent most of this.
Look at the mast from the ground. It should be vertical and its standoffs should be firmly anchored. A mast that already leans slightly is the one that fails first.
Look at what is growing near it. Utility clearance work addresses their lines. Growth reaching toward the attachment point on your own house is your conversation to have, and the moment to have it is not the week after an ice storm when every contractor in the metro is working through a queue.
The insurance note
Storm damage to a service mast is typically a covered peril, and the claim goes more smoothly with photographs taken before repairs and with a permitted, inspected repair afterward.
Call the carrier early. Some have preferred processes for utility-adjacent damage and knowing that before commissioning work saves reimbursement arguments later.
