Beshear declares state of emergency to provide resources, respond to ice storm
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Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency in Kentucky due to the ice storm that at one point left about 70,500 customers in the state with power outages.
No deaths or injuries have been attributed to the storm that hit Kentucky on Wednesday, forcing some road closures and Beshear’s order that state workers, except emergency personnel, stay at home Thursday.
Beshear provided an update on the storm Thursday morning with Transportation Secretary Jim Gray and Michael Dossett, director of the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management.
The governor urged everyone to stay at home if possible and check with local media on weather conditions.
To fight back against this winter storm, Beshear said, he declared a state of emergency to free up funding and boost coordination among state agencies to respond to the weather crisis to keep all Kentuckians safe.
He said it directs Kentucky Division of Emergency Management and the Department of Military Affairs to execute the state’s emergency plan and coordinate responses of state agencies and private relief groups.
It also directs the Finance and Administration Cabinet to provide funding for the state’s response and authorizes the emergency management division to request additional resources.
Beshear said as of 10 a.m. Thursday, there were about 70,500 Kentucky customers with power outages.
Dossett said counties with at least 10 percent outages are Carter, Lawrence, Boyd, Elliott, Greenup, Bath, Lewis, Clark, Fleming and Rowan, Nicholas, Nelson, Montgomery and Madison.
Gray said multiple crashes and intermittent closures on interstates, parkways and major routes across the state have occurred since Wednesday night to Thursday morning due to icy roads, and downed trees and power lines.
He said road crews treated roads throughout the night as breaks in the weather allowed.
Widespread reports of downed trees and limbs have been reported, with the most impact in Central and Eastern Kentucky, Gray said. He noted that partners, including the Kentucky Division of Forestry, are helping with tree removal.
“The damaging effects of fallen debris and frigid temperatures create additional challenges and delays. It’s going to take days to recover from this event. We plead for the patience of the public and ask for their help by staying off the roads if possible,” Gray said.
Kentuckians are encouraged to visit snowky.ky.gov for travel information and links to follow social media pages for transportation updates.
Beshear repeated that Kroger regional sites distributing the COVID-19 vaccine are not operating Thursday and that persons scheduled for Thursday will get their shots at the same appointment times next Thursday, Feb. 18. He said all regional sites are scheduled to be open Friday.
The Kroger Health sites are the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington and the Greenwood Mall in Bowling Green.
He recommended that people keep “a close eye” on their email and voice mail for possible changes in vaccination schedules.
Asked if people who initially who had Feb. 18 appointments at the Kroger sites will get to keep their appointments on that day, Beshear said, “We are confirming the answer to that but my understanding is that Kroger is increasing capacity next Thursday so they can both get everyone who was canceled today as well as be fully on-track for what we wanted to do next week in those facilities.”
Erin Grant, corporate affairs manager and media relations for the Kroger Co., said later Thursday that all the appointments for Feb. 18 will be honored.
This story was originally published February 11, 2021 at 10:51 AM.
