(WKYT) – While we don’t know exactly how Sunday will play out, we know at this point a highly impactful winter storm is coming to Kentucky.
This has local utility companies getting prepared.
“Kentucky Utilities is ready. We have more than 40 crew centers across our service territories with folks on standby. We have equipment ready so we are ready to go,” said Daniel Lowry of Kentucky Utilities.
Heavy snow certainly causes some headaches for utility companies, but ice brings a whole new level of difficulties.
“Ice accumulates on power lines and holds on to them. Damage can begin with as little as a quarter of an inch of ice. For every half inch of ice, it can sag a line a whole foot,” said Joe Arnold of Kentucky Electric Cooperatives.
With many winter storms, bitter cold temperatures can follow. This just adds more pressure on the utility companies.
“Because of the bitter cold that’s going to be happening after whatever the frozen precipitation is, that means we want every co-op member, every Kentuckian for that matter across the state to be prepared to handle prolonged power outages in prolonged cold,” said Arnold.
The best thing you can do is get prepared now for whatever winter weather strikes.
“First of all, non-perishable food, you have some water, you probably have a different place to go in case your home is in the bitter cold, and you don’t know how long that power restoration might take,” Arnold said.
Arnold says having cell phones charged leading up to the event is also very important. He also says if you do have a generator, keep it outside your home to prevent carbon monoxide issues.