 Hello Neighbors and Friends,
I am dropping in to check on everyone and give you an update from LG&E on their efforts to restore power to all Louisville residents. If the information below does not address your concerns and you have an issue that requires attention, please dial 311 to contact the Louisville Metro Government Call Center. If your issue is an emergency and requires immediate attention, please call 911.
I have driven throughout the District to assess damages and report my findings. Please know that your government is doing everything possible to get things back to normal. If you live in a suburban city and need information on debris and yard waste pickup, please contact someone within your local government - the city clerk, city mayor, or a councilmember or commissioner. If you need assistance from my office, please email me at paula.mccraney@louisvilleky.gov and leave your name, telephone number, and a detailed message about your issue.
Below is an update on yesterday’s storm and restoration from LG&E:
- First and foremost, please continue to stay away from downed lines – always assume they could be energized and report them to us immediately.
- On Sunday, May 27, and into the early hours of Monday, May 28, rounds of severe weather, including hurricane-force winds and tornadoes, tore across our service area.
- While numbers can continue to fluctuate as more damage is discovered and reported, the severe weather impacted more than 164,000 LG&E and KU customers and downed more than 1,500 power lines. In Louisville alone, more than 71 poles were broken, and assessments for the number of broken poles in the KU service area are still ongoing.
- As of this morning, of the 164,000 LG&E and KU customers impacted since yesterday, there are 86,000 customers who remain without power. Our crews have worked safely and around the clock since yesterday morning to restore power to nearly 50 percent of the total impacted customers.
- Of the remaining customers still without power, there are 43,700 LG&E customers and 42,700 KU customers. The hardest-hit parts of our service area are in the eastern parts of Louisville for LG&E and in Earlington for KU.
- We’ve secured an additional 700 resources from utilities in neighboring states that are working hand-in-glove with our employees and business partners. They’re protecting the public, assessing and repairing damage and restoring power to the communities we’re proud to serve.
- We also handled 118,584 customer contacts – about 87 percent of those by automation.
- We expect to have “area-wide” or “global” estimated restoration times established by this afternoon for our remaining outages. An “area-wide” or “global” estimated restoration time is our best estimate of when we feel the vast majority of customers will be restored in an area.
- We have more than 40 crew centers across the state and are able to strategically position and redirect those resources to areas where they’re needed most.
- Service restorations take place through a prioritization process that involves several different layers. While we work to restore customers’ service, we’ll also use our ability to reroute power when we can from our control center, coupled with automated controls installed on our system, to limit the number of customers affected.
During the restoration process:
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First, we’ll restore critical services in our community - hospitals, fire and police stations, airports and nursing homes.
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Next, we restore as many customers as we can as safely and quickly as possible.
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Then, we repair any damaged equipment. Whenever possible, temporary repairs are made to restore power quickly, and allow time for longer repairs to take place.
- For customers still without power, crews then make repairs to the individual power lines and service lines that feed directly to customers’ individual homes and businesses.
- We want to express again how grateful we are for our customers’ patience and understanding throughout this event.
How do estimated restoration times (ERTs) work and why can they change?
- An “area-wide” or “global” estimated restoration time is our best estimate of when we feel the vast majority of customers will be restored in an area.
- When our crews work specific outages, they continue to update ERTs for customers to see on our online outage map.
- Customers can use our outage map's zoom feature, either by clicking/tapping on the outage icon or zooming in the map view, for more localized information down to the street level.
- There are different factors that go into estimated restoration times and why they change. A few of the factors are when crews get out on site, they’re assessing the damage and how long it will take to make repairs. However, as crews continue to patrol the line, they may find other damage they need to repair before they can restore power.
- Rest assured, that during an outage, our goal is to restore power to you safely and as quickly as we can. You can always follow our progress and get the most current information from our online outage map.
What if I have damage to my weatherhead (a home’s service connection)?
- For some customers, damages at their property or damages to their equipment will require repairs before we can safely restore power to their home or business.
- Customers are being notified when crews identify property or equipment damages during their in-field assessments.
- Please, we ask that you hire a licensed electrician to make any necessary repairs to ensure they're done safely.
- We're coordinating with local and county inspectors in the affected areas, so that once repairs have been made by a licensed electrician, we can help expedite getting power restored.
- Customers can visit lge-ku.com/safety/service-connection to learn more.
What can I do with my storm debris?
We have a variety of vegetation management contractors. Some of whom work on our system every day and some who are here to work this particular storm event through our mutual assistance partnerships and business partners.
If a tree lands on a power line during a storm, LG&E and KU will remove the trees from the line and repair our equipment. The removal of the tree debris, such as branches, logs and large limbs, is the responsibility of the property owner.
We encourage customers to consider using the available storm debris drop-off sites being offered here in Jefferson County or check for locations available in your local area.
What kind of rotation do crews work on during a restoration event for a storm like this?
Crews working on a round-the-clock restoration event within our system typically work in 16-hour rotations.
How many additional resources do you have working this storm event and assisting LG&E and KU?
We’ve secured an additional 700 resources from utilities in neighboring states that are working hand-in-glove with our employees and business partners.
Were these windspeeds too much for the system? There are many factors that go into the ratings for a system, and our system is built to industry standards for our region in accordance with the National Electric Safety Code. The greatest concerns during wind events are trees, tree limbs and debris coming in contact with power lines and our equipment, which can cause significant damages and bring down lines.
Do you reimburse for spoiled food during an extended power outage?
No, we do not reimburse customers for food spoilage during a power outage. However, you do have options. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a freezer full of food will usually keep for up to 48 hours — if you keep the door closed. Refrigerated food will last from 8 to 12 hours with the door closed and never opened.
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