KENTUCKY — Gov. Andy Beshear and local leaders throughout Kentucky gave updates on Wednesday as Kentucky braces for its third winter storm in eight days.

“We have now made it through two winter storms, with a third on the way. I’m happy to be able to say we had a relatively quiet night, but let me stress that – even with a bit of a break in the weather – it’s still important to limit travel,” said Beshear. “If you must travel, it’s still important to be very careful. Slow down, watch out for snow plows, salt trucks and other emergency vehicles.”

Beshear said the State Emergency Operations Center is activated at Level 3, supporting the power outage response and the winter storm recovery. As of Wednesday morning, 44 counties and 24 cities have declared states of emergency, according to a release from the governor's office.

Regional vaccination centers will stay open on Thursday, Beshear said. He urged residents to reschedule their vaccine appointments if it's too difficult or dangerous for them to travel.

According to Spectrum News 1 meteorologists, the next weather system will arrive this evening, and it will stick around through Thursday evening. Areas near the Ohio River are under a winter weather advisory as periodic snow showers through Thursday night will lead to slippery travels. Generally, areas under the advisory will get a range of 1-3 inches of snow. 

Areas along and south of the Western and Blue Grass Parkways can get ready for the potential of 3-5 inches of snow, and possibly some freezing rain/sleet mixed in. This will be more impactful, and therefore, a winter storm warning will be in effect through Thursday.

Power Outages                             

Widespread outages remain an issue across Eastern and Southeastern Kentucky. There were approximately 96,000 Kentucky customers without power, with numerous counties reporting downed trees, as of 8 a.m. EST Wednesday, according to the governor's office. Power has been restored to roughly 58,000 customers after outages peaked at more than 154,000.

Work crews in Eastern Kentucky are still dealing with fallen trees and downed power lines, and Department of Highways maintenance facilities remain without power in five counties, including Boyd, Floyd, Lawrence, Magoffin, and Martin.

One consequence of power outages is that gas pumps can’t operate. On Tuesday, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) began hauling motor fuel into the area so crews can refuel equipment, and those efforts will continue Wednesday.

The governor's office also reminded that power outages have impacted traffic signals, and dark signals should be treated as a four-way stop.

Division of Forestry crews are out in high impact areas to clear downed trees, and Kentucky National Guard teams are on standby to assist the Forest crews to remove the cut debris.

“During this event, the weather created physical damage to the infrastructure that transmits and delivers the electricity to households. Electric companies must respond safely, swiftly and efficiently to restore service to large numbers of affected customers,” said Kentucky Division of Emergency Management Director Michael Dossett.

Dossett outlined four necessary steps to restore power:

• Assess the extent, locations, and severity of damage to the electricity system;
• Provide the physical and human resources required for repairs;
• Prioritize sites/components for repair based on factors including the criticality of the load and the availability of resources to complete the needed repairs; and 
• Implement the needed repairs and reassess system state.

“As such, households may experience times of intermittent or extended outages as the electric utilities create a safe environment for work to move through the phases of restoration,” said Dossett. “Electric utilities are implementing their mutual aid agreements to ensure everyone is working together to have the resources. Utilities are cooperating and some aid is coming from out of state.”

Road Conditions

KYTC crews are treating and plowing statewide and report most highly traveled priority A routes are passable. Plows are making headway on secondary, lower-volume routes. Several areas are severely affected, especially eastern and northeastern counties.

Currently, the Kentucky State Police (KSP) report no interstate closures, however, they may have to close an interstate in the event of a collision or additional winter weather. All 16 KSP posts continue to report slick and hazardous road conditions, and beginning Monday evening into Wednesday morning, troopers responded to multiple vehicle collisions. Several resulted in fatalities, with hazardous and icy roadways believed to be a contributing factor, according to the governor's office.

Kentuckians can check snowky.ky.gov for snow and ice resources and goky.ky.gov to check road conditions.

“Our front-line snow-fighters are still out there: from Lyon to Lawrence, Paducah to Pikeville, Hickman to Harlan, Clinton to Campbell and all parts in between. More than 2,000 employee team members plus contractors across the commonwealth are working hard to keep our people safe,” said KYTC Secretary Jim Gray. “I also want to commend the state Division of Forestry, which has provided chainsaw crews to help us clear downed trees in a number of eastern counties. They’ve been a tremendous help. Please limit your travel, drive very carefully and allow extra time to get where you’re going.”

Wellness Support

Kentucky National Guardsmen are assisting in Boyd, Carter, Crittenden, Elliott, Floyd, Greenup, Jackson, Laurel, Lawrence, Leslie, Magoffin, Menifee, Owsley, and Rockcastle counties. They are assisting with wellness checks, transporting those in need to warming stations and shelters, providing crews to transport medical staff, and providing debris removal teams to assist the Kentucky Division of Forestry.

There are currently 23 warming centers open, with another 16 on standby. There are six emergency shelters open, with one on standby.

KSP troopers are also responding to wellness checks and helping Kentuckians as needed. If you need help, contact a KSP post directly. KSP is requesting Kentuckians only utilize 911 for emergencies.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and other city leaders provided an update on the city's response to the next round of winter weather.

The Metro Snow Removal team is working 12-hour shifts to provide 24-hour treatment of Metro snow routes. Crews are continuing to apply salt at 600 lbs. per lane miles of roadway, plowing and treating roads with calcium chloride.

You can check in on the Snow Team's progress by visiting the METRO SNOW MAP.

Vulnerable Residents

The Louisville Metro Office of Resilience and Community Services (RCS) is working with community partners, such as the Coalition for the Homeless, to provide shelter for those in need. 

In Louisville, Operation White Flag is available for unsheltered residents. The program goes into effect when the temperature or wind chill is below 35 degrees. For more information, call the Single Point of Entry at 502-637-2337.

Below is shelter availability in Louisville:

• St. Vincent de Paul, 1034 S. Jackson St., has shelter space available (for men only).
• Wayside Christian Mission, 432 E. Jefferson St., has shelter space available and is operating 24/7. Wayside is also helping to provide transportation services for those needing to reach shelters. Call 502-996-1888. Pets are accepted in the Low Barrier Shelter at Wayside. During White Flag, previously barred clients are allowed inside, except for those barred for violence against staff or other clients.
• Salvation Army, 911 S. Brook St., is operating a Healthy Day Shelter location at their campus with a 400-person capacity. No reservations are required. They also are operating a Healthy Overnight Shelter with a 70-bed capacity for men and women at the Brook Street campus. Call 502-671-4904 to check bed availability.
• The Healing Place (for men only) at 1020 W. Market St. has a 48-bed capacity. Call 502-585-4848 to check bed availability.
• Overflow Capacity: Also, Wayside Mission, which operates Hotel Louisville, can make overflow/shelter beds available if needed. Call 502-389-9009. Transportation Available to Shelters: Wayside is also helping to provide transportation services for those needing to reach shelters. Call 502-996-1888.

Louisville's Meals on Wheels frozen meal deliveries on Wednesday are being rescheduled, and Senior Nutrition distribution sites will be closed. Homebound seniors will be contacted by RCS staff for health check-ins and the check food supply.

Drop-off locations for the Eviction Prevention, Metro Utility Assistance, and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) programs are open today, however, applicants are encouraged to use their best judgment regarding travel. Applicants with scheduled appointments the week of Feb. 15 will be provided an extension for submitting documentation through Friday, Feb. 26, if needed.

LMPD

The Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) is not responding to non-injury motor vehicle collisions. You can file a non-injury accident report here, and an incident report here.

Louisville Fire Department

The Louisville Division of Fire reminded residents to use safety precautions when heating their homes, such as:

• Make sure candles are in a sturdy, non-combustible container. Keep them clear of combustibles and never leave them unattended. Extinguish them before leaving the home or going to sleep.
• Do not use generators indoors or inside attached garages and keep them at least 10 feet away from the home.
• Never warm a vehicle inside a closed garage, clear snow from outdoor vents, and frequently test carbon monoxide detectors. 
• Make sure space heaters meet the industry's testing standards and have built-in safety features, like an automatic shut-off or an overheat shut-off feature. Do not use one if the electrical cord is damaged, always unplug when leaving the room or going to bed, and remember to keep space heaters at least 3 feet away from combustibles, draperies, or furniture.
• Do not handle any telephone, cable, or electrical lines as they may be electrically charged. Do not move or go near tree limbs on your home or near electrical lines as they may be charged.
• Make sure your fireplace has been serviced by a certified technician and keep fires small. Make sure the flue is in working condition and use a screen to keep embers and sparks inside the fireplace.

LouVax

The LouVax site at Broadbent Arena is in operation Wednesday, and operations are expected to resume normal hours on Friday. The LouVax site will extend its hours for a one-time event for required second-dose appointments from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. The session is by appointment only.

TARC

All TARC routes are currently operating on Winter Weather Detours.

Sidewalks

Homeowners are reminded that they are responsible to shovel the sidewalk in front of a house they own or rent in within a timely matter of 24 hours. This includes keeping the area free of all overhanging trees, shrubs, and other debris that block walkways.

Animal Services

Residents can contact animal control to report pets left outside without proper shelter. You can contact them at 502-473-PETS or by email at animals@louisvilleky.gov.

Library

The Louisville Free Public Library will operate on a modified schedule Wednesday. Library staff will contact those who have an appointment to confirm or reschedule, depending on the patron's preference. 

Zoo

The Louisville Zoo is open to the public on Wednesday.

Mayor Linda Gorton updated Lexington residents about the impending storm. Forecasts show Lexington receiving snow with a potential for sleet and freezing rain.

STREETS  AND  ROADS

City crews continued treating ranked roads overnight and through Wednesday. They will continue working 12 hour shifts, focusing efforts on high priority streets.

POLICE  DEPARTMENT

Between 5 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 16 and 7 a.m. Wednesday, Police responded to 3 injury collisions, 23 non-injury collisions, 125 motorist assists, and 55 traffic hazards. Officers continue to monitor roadways for disabled vehicles, downed trees/power lines and individuals seeking shelter.

FIRE  DEPARTMENT

In the last 24 hours, the Fire Department has responded to 162 incidents, including four carbon monoxide responses, one transformer fire, four vehicle collisions with injuries, seven slips and falls, and two building fires. The department has 165 personnel on duty, with all front line units staffed and operational.

WASTE  MANAGEMENT

Waste collection on Wednesday, Feb. 17 was suspended because of icy conditions. No City carts or dumpsters will be collected today. Residents may leave their carts at the curb. A new make-up day has not yet been identified.

HOMELESSNESS  PREVENTION  AND  INTERVENTION

The Office of Homelessness Prevention and Intervention is still operating under the Winter Weather Plan. Additional overflow emergency shelter motel rooms are being provided in partnership with Community Action Council. The on-call number for those needing assistance is 859-533-9199. To report someone in need after 10 p.m. call 859-258-3600.

For a list of all available shelters and transportation services, as well as other resources, visit www.uwbg211.org .

WARMING  CENTERS

Warming centers are closed today, but will reopen at 9 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 18. Warming centers are located at Dunbar Center, 545 N. Upper Street, and at the Senior Center, located behind Southland Christian Church on Richmond Road. The centers close at 7 p.m.