The local area is attempting to thaw out this week in the wake of a winter storm that blew through the region this past weekend. The system brought with it snow, sleet and freezing rain, and resulted in widespread power outages in the tri-counties.
“[It] has been a challenge for the electric companies and the residents,” said Whitley County Emergency Management Director Jerry Rains. “They are working just as hard as they can to get that restored.”
Rains said that over 350 Whitley County residents were still without power on Monday. That number had dropped to just over 320 Tuesday morning.
“Those people need to be mindful that it may be a little bit before [power] gets restored,” Rains said. “Crews are working as hard as they can, but there is no definite timeline on how quickly we can get to full restoration.”
Rains said that main roads are in mostly good shape, but advised that many secondary roads throughout the county are still impassable. He explained that frigid temperatures are causing salt to not work as effectively as it should, meaning that response times for emergency services has been hampered.
“Stay in and stay warm if you can,” Rains said. “If you use oxygen tanks, reach out to your supplier. They have all been great about working with us and getting tanks.”
Rains said that County Judge Executive Pat White, Jr. declared a state of emergency on Monday. This was in addition to the statewide state of emergency that was declared by Gov. Andy Beshear. This means that the state’s emergency operations center is aware that communities may be in need of assistance, and that they may be called on to provide additional resources. The state could also request federal assets if needed.
Rains also explained that the state of emergency declarations makes it so that equipment can be procured more quickly, streamlining the purchasing process.
“Check on your neighbors, and if you don’t have to be out, don’t get out,” Rains said. “We don’t want to see any injuries.”
All school systems in the coverage area remain closed, as well as some businesses. Forecasts show that freezing or near-freezing temperatures will persist through the rest of this week.
