Kentucky ice storm updates: Thousands without power. Roads hazardous. Trees down.
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Ice storm aftermath: Damage and hazards
Click below for complete coverage of the winter storm.
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Ice accumulations overnight into Thursday led to led to hazardous driving conditions and power outages.
Lexington, regional and state officials urged people to stay off the roads while crews worked to try to make them less hazardous. Traffic accidents and other calls for police assistance on the roads were frequent Thursday morning.
The ice storm warning for Lexington was canceled Thursday morning, but power outages continued and roads remained difficult to drive on due to ice.
Watch for live updates in the aftermath of the storm that moved through Kentucky.
Blocked roads, emergency calls in Lexington
3 p.m. - During a city press conference Thursday, Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton said that as of 1 p.m. there were 1,923 Kentucky Utilities customers and 64 Bluegrass Energy customers in Fayette County without power.
Also as of Thursday afternoon, crews were working to clear 14 Lexington roads blocked by trees, said Rob Allen, director of Streets and Roads. Workers started getting reports of downed trees Wednesday night before midnight. Trees blocking sidewalks and other debris reports will be dealt with after roads are clear.
During Thursday’s press conference, Police Chief Lawrence Weathers thanked people in Lexington who followed the advice to stay home and off the roads. Because of lighter traffic, the department responded to a low number of crashes.
Between 6 p.m. Wednesday and noon Thursday, the department responded to three injury collisions, 34 non-injury collisions, 29 motorist assists and 81 traffic hazards, Weathers said.
The Lexington Fire Department responded to 249 incidents between the start of the winter storm Wednesday and Thursday afternoon. Many of those calls were weather-related, Fire Chief Jason Wells said. The calls included transformer fires, downed trees, collisions and one fire.
Many people in Lexington who usually sleep outside took shelter Wednesday night, Lexington’s Office of Homelessness Prevention and Intervention reported in a news release. The office also issued a reminder that there is still room for others who want to go to a shelter, including space at the Salvation Army for single fathers.
People needing shelter can call Community Action at 859-533-9199, and people who see someone in need of emergency shelter can call (859) 533-9199 until 10 p.m. Between the hours of 10 p.m. and 8 a.m., they can call (859) 494-0470.
As the cold weather continues, the Community Action Council is asking for microwavable meals, and both Community Action and Greenhouse17 are requesting donations of paper towels and paper plates. GreenHouse17 can be reached at 800-544-2022.
The Lexington Humane Society is set to reopen on Friday, but anyone with an animal-related emergency is asked to call 859-255-9033. The city also reminded people in Lexington to let pets inside, out of the cold.
“While local ordinances always require shelter for pets during extreme weather, most outdoor shelters will be insufficient,” the city said in a release Thursday. Animal abuse or neglect can be reported to the Humane Society at 859-255-9033.
Fayette County ice accumulation reaches half an inch
2 p.m. – When the ice storm warning was canceled for Fayette County Thursday morning, there was as much as one-half of an inch of ice on the ground in the southern part of the county, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Ryan Sharp.
Other areas of Lexington reported anywhere from one-tenth to three-tenths of an inch of freezing rain or sleet, according to the National Weather service.
The most Central Kentucky ice accumulation reported as of Thursday morning occurred in Winchester, Sharp said, where there was a report of six-tenths to seven-tenths of an inch of ice. The other areas that reported six-tenths of an inch or more of freezing rain or sleet were Hardin, Jefferson, Oldham and Scott counties, according to the National Weather Service:
The ice storm warning was canceled Thursday afternoon for most of Central Kentucky, but several southeastern Kentucky counties were still under the warning, according to the National Weather Service.
The warning was scheduled to expire at 7 a.m. Friday for Laurel, McCreary, Whitley, Knox, Bell, Harlan, Floyd, Knott, Perry, Clay, Leslie, Letcher, Martin, Pike, Elliott, Morgan, Johnson, Wolfe, Magoffin, Lee, Breathitt and Owsley counties.
The warning was scheduled to expire at 7 p.m. Thursday for Estill, Powell, Menifee, Rockcastle, Jackson, Pulaski and Wayne counties.
Many K-12 schools go virtual, or opt for traditional snow day
12:55 p.m. – On Thursday, Kentucky School Boards Association officials said there are at least 108 districts that were using virtual instruction and at least 29 were having a traditional snow day.
Some school districts planned to go virtual due to the weather but switched to a traditional snow day because of power outages. For instance, Lawrence and Anderson counties switched to snow days after the districts reported that there were power outages.
I-65, I-75 travel dangerous from crashes or ice in some areas
12:15 p.m. – There were multiple collisions on Interstate 65 between the 58- and 71-mile markers in Hart County Thursday afternoon, according to Kentucky State Police. As a result, southbound traffic at the 67-mile marker was “at a standstill,” Trooper Daniel Priddy said.
“Please do not travel unless absolutely necessary,” he said.
All the roads in the state police post three district should be considered slick and hazardous, Priddy said. Post three includes Allen, Barren, Butler, Edmonson, Hart, Logan, Simpson, and Warren counties.
Travel was difficult in other areas too.
Trooper Scottie Pennington, spokesman for the Kentucky State Police post at London, said travel was treacherous on Interstate 75 in northern Rockcastle County early Thursday afternoon. State police had received a number of calls to help drivers who had slid off the road.
Kentucky power outages continue, trees fall in Lexington
12 p.m. – The number of reported power outages across Kentucky had dropped to about 62,000 just before 12 p.m. Thursday, according to PowerOutage.us, a site that tracks most of the state’s power providers. The number had previously been over 70,000.
The outages stretched across the state, but there were clusters in Carter, Boyd, Greenup and Lawrence counties.
When the power goes out, there are a number of ways to help stay warm, according to the National Weather Service: Close blinds or curtains to keep in some heat; close off rooms to avoid wasting heat; wear layers of loose-fitting, lightweight, warm clothing; eat and drink, but avoid caffeine and alcohol; and stuff towels or rags in cracks under doors.
Reports of downed trees were continuing to come in Thursday morning, including one tree that fell on two parked vehicles on Holwyn Road and Monticello Boulevard in Lexington.
A large tree fell on a Lexington house in the area of Martin Luther King Boulevard and East Sixth Street, which “likely jeopardized” some of the structure, according to the Lexington Fire Department. The fire department put a note on the door asking people to stay out of the home.
“It’s not safe to be inside until something is done to stabilize the structure,” Battalion Chief Jordan Saas said.
The family living in the home wasn’t hurt, according to WKYT, the Herald-Leader’s reporting partner.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet was continuing to work to clear roads across the state, including in counties where freezing rain continued to fall during the morning hours.
NWS updates warnings
11:45 a.m. - The National Weather Service’s Louisville office announced at around 11:40 a.m. Thursday that the winter weather advisory and winter storm warnings for the Northern Kentucky and Southern Indiana areas had been canceled. The focus Thursday was turning toward the continuing ice storm warning for parts of Central and Southern Kentucky, the office said in a tweet.
The office still urged caution in the areas where the warnings have been canceled.
“Widespread sleet and freezing rain accumulations have ended,” the NWS office reported on their website earlier Thursday. “However, travel will remain very difficult in some areas. At least scattered power outages are likely to continue today, and 10 to 20 mph winds from the northeast could cause more power outages. Only travel today if you must.”
Beshear declares state of emergency due to storm
With over 70,000 power outages and hazardous conditions reported on roads across the state, Gov. Andy Beshear signed a state of emergency declaration Thursday morning.
“This declaration will free up funding and boost coordination across agencies as we respond to this weather crisis in a way that can keep all Kentuckians safe,” Beshear said during a press conference Thursday.
He said it directs Kentucky Emergency Management and the Department of Military Affairs to executive the state’s emergency plan and the Finance and Administration Cabinet to provide funding for additional resources.
No more ice accumulation expected for Lexington
9:50 a.m. – The ice storm warning for Lexington was canceled Thursday morning, according to Lexington Emergency Management. While no additional ice accumulation was expected, travel was likely to remain difficult in some areas. Power outages are likely to continue and strong winds could cause more outages to occur, according to emergency management.
According to National Weather Service forecast updates Wednesday night and Thursday, much of Western and Northern Kentucky, as well as some of Central Kentucky, got its heaviest ice accumulations overnight. Lexington was included in that area. Light snow and sleet was expected to continue in those regions.
WLEX-18’s Tom Ackerman said about two-tenths of an inch of ice accumulated in Lexington, and a little more than one-tenth of an inch accumulated in Frankfort. The largest totals occurred in Elizabethtown, which had about a half-inch of ice, and Bardstown, which had about a quarter-inch of ice, Ackerman said.
Some of Central and Eastern Kentucky was expected to get freezing rain and sleet Thursday morning, with accumulations of up to one-fifth of an inch along the Bluegrass Parkway and south of it, according to the National Weather Service.
Freezing rain and sleet were expected to continue with decreasing intensity in Central and Southern Kentucky Thursday afternoon. There was expected to be little if any precipitation in Northern Kentucky and parts of Central Kentucky by Thursday night.
Lexington police respond to more traffic accidents Thursday morning
9:30 a.m. – After 21 traffic accidents Wednesday evening into Thursday morning, Lexington police responded to another eight accidents and seven calls for pedestrian or driver assistance between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. Thursday.
There were downed trees and power lines which caused problems on Lexington roads Wednesday night into Thursday morning, according to Lexington police and the city’s streets and roads department.
“Crews have been busy throughout the night and early morning responding to numerous calls of icy limbs and power lines that have fallen on vehicles and roadways,” Lexington police said.
Police asked residents not to travel unless absolutely necessary.
“Conditions are poor, but road and utility crews are working to clear traffic hazards and make necessary repairs,” police said.
There were also early-morning reports of traffic lights not working due to power outages.
Lexington city government offices closed Thursday
9 a.m. – Any city office not involved in weather-related work was closed Thursday, the city announced. Employees who were working from home were asked to continue work as usual.
The city had previously postponed opening its offices until 11 a.m. before ultimately deciding to keep them closed.
The city made a number of other changes to its services and operations Thursday. Trash collection was postponed, the Parks and Recreation non-traditional instruction program was delayed, and the electronics recycling center and Haley Pike Landfill were closed. City golf courses were also closed.
Fayette County sheriff’s office to help with some critical transportation
8 a.m. – The Fayette County sheriff’s office activated the transportation and prescription pickup portion of the Winter Care Program Thursday morning. When the program is activated, the sheriff’s office provides transportation to and from work for those who are employed in the healthcare industry or professionals that provide direct healthcare services.
It also provides transportation to and from “critical medical appointments,” pick-up of critical prescription services, checks on vulnerable citizens, and distribution of winter coats and blankets.
Anyone in Fayette County who needs assistance, or knows someone else who needs assistance, can call the sheriff’s office at (859) 252-1771 and ask for the Winter Care Program.
Eastern Kentucky deals with ‘extremely dangerous’ roads
7 a.m. – Roads in several Eastern Kentucky counties were covered in ice and snow, “making travel extremely dangerous,” according to Kentucky State Police Trooper Shane Goodall. Those counties included Boyd, Carter, Greenup and Lawrence.
“Please use caution if you have to drive on the roadways,” Goodall said.
Some other areas of Kentucky weren’t quite as bad. Trooper Daniel Priddy said there were reports of some slick spots within the jurisdiction of state police post three, which includes Allen, Barren, Butler, Edmonson, Hart, Logan, Simpson, and Warren counties.
Trooper Scotty Sharp said roadways in post four were clear, with the exception of some slush. Post four covers Breckinridge, Bullitt, Grayson, Hardin, Jefferson, Larue, Meade, and Nelson counties.
University of Kentucky cancels in-person class for 2nd straight day
7 a.m. – UK canceled its in-person classes and closed campus for a second straight day due to the ice storm. Virtual classes were set to continue as scheduled unless professors decide otherwise, according to UK.
In addition, the COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Kroger Field was closed for a second consecutive day. Volunteers were asked not to report to the site. The UK campus and community coronavirus test sites were closed Thursday, too.
“Plan B” employees were asked to report to work on campus. UK HealthCare’s hospitals and clinics were set to remain open on a regular operating schedule.
This story was originally published February 11, 2021 at 6:35 AM.
