A strong winter storm packing rain and wet, heavy snow covered Kentucky Power's service area Friday and Friday night leading to power outages for approximately 70,000 customers. The snow continues to fall this morning and even more power outages can be expected. The storm has caused extensive damage to power equipment as snow-laden trees and tree branches snapped and fell across power lines and utility poles.
 
Kentucky Power crews are working to assess damage and make repairs to electrical circuits in an effort to return customers to service as safely and quickly as possible. Kentucky Power estimates it could be as late as December 27 before every customer is returned to service. Continued bad weather throughout the region has made restoration very challenging and difficult as crews deal with weather-related dangers and travel issues as well as those inherent in working with electricity.
 
Company officials caution eastern Kentucky residents to never approach downed power lines or wires of any type. No mater how harmless a downed wire may appear it should be considered energized and dangerous. Report all downed power lines to Kentucky Power at (800) 572-1113 or notify local emergency or law enforcement officials immediately. Never approach or touch anything that comes in contact with a downed power line. Keep in mind that the heavy snow may cover downed power lines.
 
As of 10 a.m. today, the following outage numbers were estimated by the company. Company officials explained these numbers can rise and fall throughout the day as the storm continues to manifest itself and new outage situations are identified and addressed.
 
Service Area / Customers / Preliminary Restoration Estimate
Ashland / 2,792 / for all customers, Midnight, Sunday, 12/20
Hazard/ 21,653 / for all customers, Sunday, 12/27
Paintsville/ 3,377 / for all customers, Wednesday, 12/23
Pikeville/ 25,311  for all customers, Saturday, 12/26
South Williamson/ 9,352 / for all customers, Saturday, 12/26
Whitesburg/ 7,119 / for all customers, Sunday, 12/27
Total 69,604
 
PLEASE NOTE:
Customers and media representatives can track information about this storm and Kentucky Power’s efforts to restore power by going to www.kentuckypower.comand clicking on the December 18 Snow Storm - Kentucky Powerbox. The site provides additional storm related information including a map of outages cases by county. It will be updated regularly throughout the storm.
 
Kentucky Power is an operating unit of American Electric Power and provides electricity to approximately 175,000 customers in all or parts of 20 Eastern Kentucky counties.
 
American Electric Power is one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity to more than 5 million customers in 11 states. AEP ranks among the nation's largest generators of electricity, owning nearly 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. AEP also owns the nation's largest electricity transmission system, a nearly 39,000-mile network that includes more 765-kilovolt extra-high voltage transmission lines than all other U.S. transmission systems combined. AEP's transmission system directly or indirectly serves about 10 percent of the electricity demand in the Eastern Interconnection, the interconnected transmission system that covers 38 eastern and central U.S. states and eastern Canada, and approximately 11 percent of the electricity demand in ERCOT, the transmission system that covers much of Texas. AEP's utility units operate as AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana and east Texas). AEP's headquarters are in Columbus, Ohio.

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