Crews prepare for another round of severe weather

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - State and local leaders are urging people to be prepared Friday night.

After dealing with several severe weather events this month already, utility crews say they are ready.

Lexington’s Emergency Operations Center opened at 8:30 Friday night with critical staff.

Mayor Linda Gorton says this is to prepare them in case there is an emergency. Saying she will declare a state of emergency as needed. And city crews aren’t the only ones on high alert.

“Unfortunately, we’ve gone through this a few times already. March came in like a lion, and March is going out like a lion,” said Joe Arnold of Kentucky Electric Cooperatives.

Thie historic winds on March 3 wreaked havoc across our region and the entire Commonwealth.

“One thing about recent storms is they were so widespread and affected every coop across Kentucky,” said Arnold. “After those storms, every coop has gone and inspected their systems.”

Arnold says they searched for weak spots. Trees, branches or lines that may have taken bad hits last storm.

Expecting the possibility of downed branches and trees again this time. Meaning the possibility that we could see power outages again.

“Really, our big message today is for our members. That every co-op member is prepared,” Arnold said. “They’ve prepped their emergency preparedness kit. Phones charged throughout the day. Have a supply of water, and if you’re reliant on electricity for your health, be prepared. We know from recent experiences, power can go out, and these storms can have a big effect.”

Arnold says after the storm rolls through, it’s really important to be mindful of downed power lines. Assume it’s energized. If a tree is in contact or a branch is in contact with an electric line, that is dangerous and deadly. So call the emergency line or co-op if you come into any of these circumstances.

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