Remembering the ice storm five years later
Monday, January 27, 2014
Earlier this month, the polar vortex blew through the
Bluegrass and has kept its strong winter grip on the area. But five years ago, a
different cold weather system turned into one of the worst natural disasters in
the history of Kentucky.
Freezing rain and snow pushed into the region on Jan. 27, 2009,
followed by days of 20 mph wind gusts and sub-zero wind temperatures. Ice
accumulation on trees and power lines grew to three inches.
Utility poles snapped like toothpicks under the weight, leading
to widespread power outages that, at peak, impacted more than 404,000 customers
across our service territory. Kentucky Emergency Management and FEMA estimated
the damage at more than $214 million and declared the state a disaster area.
The damage from the ice storm required the first total call-up of the 4,100
members of the Kentucky National Guard.
For our company, getting the lights back on safely was a
company-wide, round-the-clock effort with more than 6,000 restoration workers from
21 states. As crews worked in the field, our customer care representatives
fielded more than 678,000 calls from customers.
In the years since the 2009 ice storm and the 2008
windstorm, we have continued to make improvements to our electric system and
how we plan and prepare for major events. These upgrades total more than $1
billion, and include enhancements like:
· A new state-of-the-art customer information system, including an online outage map, online outage reporting, a smartphone application and web-based options.
· Programs to inspect/treat/replace utility poles, remove hazardous trees and identify circuits needing improvement.
·
A project to improve a portion of the downtown
underground network.
While we hope to never have to experience another event like
the 2009 ice storm, the improvements we’ve made over the last several years and
the continual investments in our system have made us even more prepared. Rest
assured, when Mother Nature brings her worst, our employees will deliver their
best.
You can visit our Facebook page to see restoration photos from the 2009 ice storm.
Until next time, keep using energy safely and wisely.
