NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) — It didn’t take very long for the lights to start flickering across central Kentucky.
By 10 a.m. Tuesday, Fayette County reported 90 customers without power. That number was well into the hundreds in Owsley and Powell Counties. And those happened when this storm was a heavy but steady rain event.
“Ice is always the biggest concern,” said Nick Comer of the Eastern Kentucky Power Cooperative when discussing power loss. “Ice isn’t part of this storm, but we know when you have wind gusts up to 50 mph, trees will fall, branches will break off and fall, and those could fall onto power lines,” Comer continued.
Strong wind is expected to take over in the early evening hours on Tuesday, so the power outage count will likely rise before the storm clears the area.
“We have crews available 24 hours a day to respond and get out there quickly,” Comer said.
But those crews might not beat the clock on a drying cell phone battery or battery-operated heat source.
“Have those cell phones charged. Have a flashlight, and if you depend on backup sources of heat, have those ready to go,” Comer advised.
He also said to be careful with wood-burning stoves, candles, and other open-flame heat and light sources. Those need to be monitored and then extinguished before heading off to sleep.
