While an extreme cold warning expires midday across the Commonwealth, Governor Andy Beshear Tuesday morning said much remains to be done — and more time is needed — before the state returns to normal.
One death, Beshear said, has been confirmed from the weekend’s winter blast: a 72-year-old woman from Whitley County, where hypothermia “did contribute,” as did a “significant fall.” Three other deaths, Beshear added, remain under investigation.
As of 9 AM Tuesday, Kentucky still had more than 27,000 without power — down significantly from the 73,590 at the height of Sunday — and most of these outages are in Pulaski, Allen, Monroe, Barren and Russell counties.
More than 7,400 Kentuckians remain under a boil water advisory, and 12 wastewater systems are on limited operation under generator power. Of the 1,922 homes currently without water, Beshear said more than 1,600 of them are in Monroe County — courtesy of a stress line break observed Monday.
Furthermore, nearly 1,000 Kentuckians remain housed in 130-plus warming centers. Kentucky Dam Village in Gilbertsville and Pennyrile Forest State Park in Dawson Springs have joined the list of state parks offering local and regional assistance at this time.
Kentucky State Police, Beshear added, as responded to more than 6,600 calls for service — including 500-plus motorist assists.
The biggest concerns now, he said, are secondary road safety and dangerously low temperatures in the evening and night. Kentuckians should limit time outdoors, as frostbite and hypothermia can occur in as little as 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, Kentucky Emergency Management Director Eric Gibson said generators, drinking water, essential personnel transport and meals ready to eat have been the top requests from his office — as the state works to come online.
In the wake of several tragic deaths in Texas, Gibson said regional emergency managers are asking for families to stay off of farm ponds and shallower local waterways.
Since Friday, Beshear said the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has plowed more than 670,000 miles of state highways and state roads, and that work will continue through the week and into the next.
Transportation Secretary Jim Gray agreed that plow crews “made progress.”
Gray said there remains a chance for some “minor weather systems,” known as “clippers,” to sweep through Kentucky later this week.
Beshear said more than 2,000 of the Kentucky National Guard remain “at the ready” through the rest of this week. That will be trimmed to 1,000, following the conclusion of “drill weekend.”
A state of emergency declaration does remain for Kentucky, and the Commonwealth’s Emergency Operations Center is at Level 2 response.
