Work to restore power to Kentucky residents continues following the deadly storms that swept through the state on Friday.
Due to the overwhelming number of outages across the state, at least 375 utility workers have been called in from ten states across the region to help repair downed power lines, snapped utility poles, and outages caused by debris from the storm.
Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency in the Commonwealth ahead of the storm that claimed five lives and caused structural damage and widespread power outages across the state.
Joe Allen, a spokesperson for Kentucky Electric Cooperatives, said due to the storm's impact on surrounding states, including Tennessee and Ohio, utility workers were called in from outside of the normal service areas.
“We had to cast a far wider net than what we would typically had to in the past to be able to pull in co-ops from as far away as Louisiana, and Florida, North, and South Carolina; actually ten states in all are working with crews here in Kentucky,” Allen said.
Fifty-five electrical crews from Florida, Georgia, and Missouri were on hand to assist workers from Warren Rural Electrical Co-op and Bowling Green Municipal Utilities to repair outages in Warren County.
Kim Phelps, a spokesperson for Warren Rural Electrical Co-op, said the combination of local workers and crews from out of state has allowed continuous service for customers.
“We have got as many boots on the ground as we can and we are working around the clock, with all the additional help we are able to work around the clock,” Phelps said.
Warren Rural Electrical Co-op will often assist other states with additional personnel and resources following severe weather or storms.
“When one of our communities or sister co-op’s has a problem, something like a natural disaster or wind storm, we all pull resources and we help,” Phelps said. “For us, it’s wonderful to have the help here.”
