District 12 eNewsletter - STORM UPDATE

Louisville Metro Government sent this bulletin at 03/06/2023 11:32 AM EST

Councilman Rick Blackwell

601 West Jefferson Street

(502) 574-1112

Email Rick

Heather Blazis

Legislative Assistant

(502) 574-1112

Email Heather

Visit the D12 Website

STORM UPDATE

Mayor, city partners provide update on storm response efforts.

Yesterday, Mayor Greenberg updated the community on the ongoing efforts the city and its partners are taking in response to the historic wind storm that caused widespread damage throughout Jefferson County on Friday, March 3, 2023.

LG&E Update

As of yesterday’s afternoon update, LG&E reports it has made significant progress – out of 145,000 customers who have been impacted in the LG&E area, 72,000 customers have had their power restored.

Around 1,500 line technicians and support staff from utility companies in the surrounding states have arrived in Louisville and are assisting with the massive, all-hands-on-deck, multi-day restoration event. This weather event is the 3rd most significant in the past 20 years ranking behind the 2009 ice storm and the 2008 wind storm.

Safety is LG&E’s top priority and reminds residents to stay away from downed power lines and always assume downed lines are energized. Estimated restoration times are starting to become available for customers who remain without power. Access LG&E’s Outage Map at https://stormcenter.lge-ku.com/

Debris Drop-Off Sites

Louisville Metro Public Works will open seven debris drop-off sites for Jefferson County residents to drop off storm debris for free. This includes all tree debris and bulky waste from storm damage. All tree debris will be composted and must be separated from bulky waste for easy off-loading at each site. Residents will be asked to provide their name and address at the drop-off sites.

Beginning March 6, 2023, the following drop-off sites will operate Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.:

• Shawnee Park, 4501 W. Broadway

• Public Works Yard, 10500 Lower River Road (enter from Bethany Lane)

• Near Fairdale Elementary, 10618 W. Manslick Road

• Fern Creek Park, 8703 Ferndale Road

• Smith Creek Compost Facility, 13312 Aiken Road

• Public Works Yard, 595 N. Hubbards Lane

• Waste Reduction Center, 636 Meriwether Avenue

Household hazardous waste will not be accepted. Contractors and businesses who are hauling debris are invited to use the Waste Reduction Center for the usual fee. Visit Louisvilleky.gov/WRC for details.

Metro311

Residents should call 311 with their questions about city services. As of 2 p.m. yesterday, 311 has received more than 700 calls over the past two days.

Dare to Care

To ensure areas hit hardest by the windstorm have adequate food available, Dare to Care will disburse its mobile pantry offering fresh produce and shelf stable foods on Monday, March 6 and Tuesday, March 7 to assist areas in need.

Mobile pantries will be set up at the following locations:

• Catholic Enrichment Center, 3146 W. Broadway, 10 a.m. – noon

• Newburg Community Center, 4810 Exeter Avenue, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

• Stephen’s Baptist Church, 1015 South 18th Street, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.

On Tuesday, March 7, Dare to Care will fortify its two currently scheduled mobile pantries. These are:

• Portland PACT, 2500 Portland Avenue, 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

• Holy Name Catholic Church, 2933 South Fourth Street, 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Dare to Care, too, has experienced disruptions that impact response, from power outages to food supply chain issues. The team is working with its donors, vendors, nonprofit partners, and sister food banks throughout the country, to resource a proper response. Already, Dare to Care has arranged for special produce shipments this week from its Indianapolis sister food bank, Gleaners of Indiana, to support efforts. Dare to Care also has frozen meals that will go to open after school programs including Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCAs and community centers.

Follow Dare to Care on social media to stay updated on the latest developments or view its disaster response page at daretocare.org.

Louisville Fire Department

The Louisville Fire Department reminds residents to take safety precautions when power is being restored to their homes and businesses. Make sure electrical stove, stove top elements, ovens, and small appliances are turned off and unplugged to prevent fires when electric is restored. Residents without power, should use flashlights instead of candles. Remember to keep generators 20 feet away from the home with the exhaust fumes pointing away from the home. Per an Air Pollution Control District ordinance, debris burning is not allowed within the county.

BBB Issues Response in Aftermath of Wind- and Rainstorms

BBB serving Greater Kentucky and South Central Indiana warns of storm-chasing scammers in the aftermath of the storms that struck Kentucky and Indiana late last week.

With any destructive and severe weather, there is an increased potential of out-of-town storm chasers looking to take advantage of victims as they begin the process of cleaning up and repairing property damage. BBB warns Kentucky and Indiana residents affected by the storms to beware of these scammers.

BBB offers the following tips for storm victims:

• Know your rights and responsibilities as provided by the state Attorney General. Kentucky residents can contact the Kentucky Attorney General’s office at ag.ky.gov or call 502.696.5300.

• Businesses must be licensed. Contact the Revenue Commission at 502.574.4860 to check out a company’s licensure.

• Many municipalities require a solicitation permit if salespeople go door-to-door. Verify that they need to have a permit by contacting your local Township or Municipality or call Permits & Licensing at 502.574.3321

• While most roofing contractors abide by the law, be careful allowing someone you do not know to inspect your roof. An unethical contractor may actually create damage to get work.

• Try to get at least 3-4 quotes from contractors, and insist that payments be made to the company, not an individual.

• Do not pay for the job in advance. Be wary of any contractor who demands full or half payment upfront.

• Resist high-pressure sales tactics, such as the “good deal” you’ll get only if you hire the contractor on the spot.

• Get a written contract that specifies the price, the work to be done, the amount of liability insurance coverage maintained by the contractor, and a time frame. Require a copy of their current certificate of insurance.

• For general questions or complaints related to insurance, contact your state’s Department of Insurance. Kentucky residents can visit insurance.ky.gov or call 502.564.3630.

• Pay by credit card, if possible; you may have additional protection if there’s a problem.

• If you suspect a company may be price gouging necessary goods or services due to the area storm damage, report the business to BBB and the Attorney General’s office.

• Beware of FEMA imposters. In the past, scammers have impersonated FEMA to try to scam consumers. Remember that FEMA does not charge for inspections, and they always wear ID badges. If you are still unsure, check with FEMA first at fema.gov or call 202.646.2500.

BBB is also warning area contractors to beware of storm chasers who are willing to pay local construction companies substantial amounts of money to use a local business’s established name, reputation, and phone so they can masquerade as a local business. Many contractors who agreed to let these storm chasers use their name regret their decision once they were left holding the bag of unsatisfied customers due to bad workmanship and/or unfulfilled warranties.

Finally, as many area homes are still without power, BBB advises consumers to be wary of any scam callers masquerading as gas and electric company employees. LG&E and KU will never call consumers and demand payment immediately over the phone in order to restore power (or prevent it from being shut off). For any concerns regarding utilities, contact your provider directly. Do not give your financial information over the phone to any unsolicited caller.

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