Ashland, Ky., December 22, 2022 – Kentucky Power utility personnel are prepared to respond to service interruptions caused by arctic weather forecasted in its service area starting late this evening. The power company is urging customers to be prepared for the extreme cold coming in and potential outages.

“Our emergency response teams are activated and ready,” said Greg Bell, director of distribution risk and project management for Kentucky Power. “Power outages could be expected, depending on the type of precipitation and winds our service areas experience. So, we want customers to know we are ready for the storm and that, as conditions are deemed safe for our crews, power will be restored as expeditiously as possible.”

Gov. Beshear and State Emergency Management officials declared a state of emergency on Wednesday and reported that severe cold will begin tonight with dangerously cold conditions that could reach as much of a minus-26-degree windchill in some parts of the state. Officials pleaded with Kentuckians to be aware of dangerous conditions; to make plans to stay safe and warm; and arrive to all destinations by Thursday afternoon, if traveling.

The cold will extend through Christmas Day with temperatures below freezing until Monday. With cold and icy conditions, including snow accumulation in some areas; and wind gusts as high as 40-50 miles per hour, state officials and companies like Kentucky Power are urging customers to make preparations now.

“As we prepare for the storm, we want customers to be doing all they can to be ready as well,” Bell said. “Our emergency response teams really sharpened their restoration and planning skills after the ice storm we all endured in 2021. I think what we all learned in that storm is to plan for the unexpected. But we all need to be prepared for what we don’t know, and each of us do our part to be ready for this kind of dangerous storm.”

Kentucky Power’s safety tips are available at kentuckypower.com/safety. Some of those tips include:

• Ensure an adequate supply of flashlights, batteries, bottled water, non-perishable foods, medicines, etc., as well as the availability of a portable, battery-operated radio, TV or weather radio.
• Have a plan. Customers should make alternate shelter arrangements as needed if you will be significantly impacted by a loss of power – especially families who have special medical needs or elderly members.
• Be aware that snow can cause hazardous driving conditions resulting in traffic accidents and downed power poles resulting in isolated outages. If you are driving and encounter emergency responders or other roadside work crews, remember to move over.
• If you use a generator due to a power outage, follow the manufacturer's instructions to ensure safe and proper operation. Operate your generator outside; never operate it inside a building or garage.
• Don't use grills or other outdoor appliances or equipment indoors for space heating or cooking, as these devices may emit carbon monoxide.
• Stay away from power lines that have fallen or are sagging. Consider all lines energized as well as trees or limbs in contact with lines. Please report downed power lines to Kentucky Power or local emergency services.

Customers are also urged to download the Kentucky Power app. ­­­­When outages or downed powerlines occur, customers can report these on the app and check the latest restoration information for their account anytime at kentuckypower.com/outages or by downloading the Kentucky Power mobile app at kentuckypower.com/app. The app allows customers to easily report their outage by scanning the barcode on their meter. Customers also can call Customer Operations Center at 1-800-572-1113.

Specific information about outages is available via text message and/or email by subscribing to Kentucky Power outage alerts. To sign up, go to kentuckypower.com/alerts. Up-to-date information can also be found on Facebook at facebook.com/KentuckyPower and on Twitter at twitter.com/KentuckyPower or @KentuckyPower.

Kentucky Power, with headquarters in Ashland, provides electric service to about 164,000 customers in 20 eastern Kentucky counties. Kentucky Power is an operating company in the American Electric Power system, one of the largest electric utilities in the U.S.