LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — For the second time in four months, thousands were without power in Lexington after severe storms passed through the area on Sunday.
Local officials say they are doing everything they can.
"We had 18 intersections without power, so we had police at some of those running them," said Mayor Linda Gorton. "We had lights that were put up overnight. I mean it's all kinds of issues that they're dealing with. And we've had fire, police, streets & roads, all kinds of folks who've pitched in with this major effort."
So does the city's main power provider, Kentucky Utilities (KU).
In March, KU said more than 3,400 wires were down and 760 poles were broken across their entire LG&E system.
Power took days to be restored.
On Monday, LG&E and KU Spokesperson Daniel Lowry said more than 200 wires were down and 20 utility poles were broken.
Lowry says it may take days for customers this time around, but they've pulled in help from partners in the area. Around 300 workers were in the field on Monday trying to restore power to more than 19,000 customers.
"This one is not going to be as long in duration thankfully," said Lowry. We expect to have everyone back up by 11:30 p.m. on July 4."
Strong Winds, Power Out?
When asked about what infrastructure could be improved to help with power loss, officials didn't have any specific answers.
While acknowledging changing weather patterns causing more severe storms in the area, Gorton said conversations may happen in the future about making systems more reliable.
"They are looking at all of this. I've had conversations with them," said Gorton. "This is their business, so they don't want to have issues with this."
Gorton says the government will be 'flexible.'
"We have people inside government who look at that and who keep track of the data and I think we've got to be prepared for the changes and to be flexible. We have a lot of people who work on storms and help clean up," said Gorton.
She says the only budgetary impact right now has been personal with overtime.
As far as climate change's impact on government resources and planning, Gorton says the city is working on its Empower Lexington plan. It's expected to include sustainable options for more energy efficiency.
Some community members have questioned whether a lack of tree trimming is impacting damage.
"I think that they've really trimmed more the last couple of years once we got our agreement in place with them and of course, there's always gonna be some gigantic trees," said Gorton.
When asked about potential infrastructure improvements, Lowry said KU is doing all it can.
"We make a lot of investments to make sure our system is as tough as it can be to withstand severe and extreme weather, but in cases where you have really bad storms and high wind gusts, you often get tree limbs and trees that get knocked down," said Lowry.
When asked about running more lines underground, Lowry said it would be a costly expense. Right now, it's paid customers.
Progress?
In May, city officials provided a review on the March storm response.
The review revealed work needed to be done to update tech and software to do a better job communicating internally, opening the emergency operations sooner, upgrades to the E911 system, resources for people with medical devices, and battery-powered chainsaws, and better communication with KU.
The mayor's office reports communication has improved across the board, funding for battery-powered chain saws was included in the FY24 budget, the emergency operations center was open, there were no issues with dispatch Sunday night, and they communicated with the public quickly and consistently.
The city is still pursuing grant funding to upgrade the E911 system and purchase medical charging devices.
Empower Lexington Feedback Opportunities
· Tuesday, July 11, 6 p.m., The Lyric Theatre and Cultural Arts Center, 300 E. 3rd St., Lexington, Ky. 40508 | Register
· Thursday, July 20, 1:30 p m., Virtual | Register
