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Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009

UPDATED 8:55 a.m.: 525,000 without power across Kentucky

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear has asked the Obama administration for a federal emergency disaster declaration to deal with widespread power outages and cleanup after a powerful winter storm hammered Kentucky this week.

The state, along with 68 counties and 36 cities, was operating under states of emergency as ice continued to drag down power lines and branches clogged roadways.

A state emergency official said Thursday that three deaths in Kentucky are associated with a vicious winter storm.

An estimated 525,000 Kentuckians were without power Wednesday night, the second-largest outage in the state's history. More than 36,500 in Lexington were without electricity by Wednesday evening.

Many cities were struggling to find generators to keep water and sewage plants operating, and thousands of people sought warmth in 91 shelters statewide.

More than 500 members of the Kentucky National Guard were deployed in 27 counties to help clear debris from roads and power lines.

Several cities were in the dark, and the region was covered in slush and ice after the winter storm continued its assault Wednesday with more snow. Power officials said the number of people without electricity could continue to climb Thursday and cautioned that it could take as long as two weeks to restore power to some areas.

Nearly all parts of Kentucky were hampered by the storm, but Western Kentucky was one of the hardest hit and was the area with the most power outages, Beshear said Wednesday.

Beshear said at a news conference in Lexington that he had spoken to White House officials early Wednesday about quickly approving a joint emergency declaration to allow the Federal Emergency Management Agency to almost immediately bring money and extra workers to Kentucky so residents won't have to wait long for help.

"We expect shortly that the request will be granted," Beshear said.

He will fly to Western Kentucky Thursday morning to view the damage, making stops in Paducah, Henderson and Bowling Green.

The state also is running low on generators for nursing homes and water treatment plants, Beshear said.

According to the letter Beshear sent Obama, costs associated with the storm will exceed $5 million in damages, the minimum amount a state must spend to trigger federal assistance. The letter also states that at least seven wastewater treatment plants were on bypass mode — meaning not all sewage was going through every stage of treatment — because of flooding or power outages. More than 20 outstanding requests for generators had not yet been honored, the letter said.

With an emergency declaration, the state can tap into a store of generators used by U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and other federal agencies. FEMA also can help the state assess damages if the emergency declaration is granted.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Louisville, also sent President Obama a letter Wednesday urging Obama to grant the emergency declaration.

Tuesday's and Wednesday's wintry mix resulted in the second-largest statewide power outage in history. The largest — with more than 600,000 people without power — came last year, when winds from Hurricane Ike tore down power lines in Louisville and other areas of the state.

But this week's storm was more dangerous because of the ice and cold, Beshear said.

Patience urged

The storm came as Kentucky is wrestling with a $456 million shortfall. Beshear promised that the state's dismal finances will have no effect on the state's response.

"The most basic responsibility of government is to protect the lives and safety of its people," Beshear said.

Buddy Rogers, a spokesman for the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management, emphasized that people should try to stay off major roads as emergency crews work to remove debris and restore power. State transportation crews were working in 105 of Kentucky's 120 counties, Beshear said.

"We know that it could take a few days or even longer for power to be restored," Rogers said. "We are asking people to please be patient, as emergency crews are doing everything that they can."