About 54,100 Kentucky electric customers remain without power as the result of a severe wind storm that swept across the state yesterday, according to figures compiled by the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC).
That number is in addition to the 26,200 customers still without power due to last month’s massive ice storm. Nearly all of those are in western Kentucky.
Power outages statewide total 81,411 customers.
With wind gusts reported in excess of 70 miles per hour, yesterday’s storm knocked out power to at least 150,000 homes and businesses, according to reports received by the PSC from regulated utilities. Most of the wind damage was in the eastern half of the state.
Although the wind storm caused relatively few new outages in western Kentucky, electric providers are reporting that it hampered most restoration work yesterday. Saturated ground due to heavy rains is expected to slow restoration in some areas over the next few days.
About 742,500 (96 percent) of the nearly 770,000 customers who lost power at the peak of the ice storm had power restored before the wind storm arrived. It is unknown how many of the customers who lost power during the ice storm lost it again yesterday.
