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Kentuckians Asked to Remain Cautious Following Winter Storm

WTOP

After declaring another state of emergency for the Commonwealth, Gov. Steve Beshear met with state emergency management officials and the Kentucky National Guard on Thursday (March 5) at the Boone Center in Frankfort as part of his monitoring of the recent winter storm.

“We are continuing to direct our road crews, emergency management officials and the National Guard to manage the impact of this second winter storm in as many weeks that hit the Bluegrass yesterday,” Gov. Beshear said.

“This storm has mainly been a traffic-related event, impacting roads and bridges all across the Commonwealth. As the weather front moves out of Kentucky, we ask that Kentuckians remain cautious and patient as our work continues into the night when temperatures are expected to drop,” added Beshear.

As temperatures rise in the coming days, the Governor cautions Kentuckians of the possibility of flooding and high water in parts of the state.

The National Weather Service has estimated snowfall amounts from the storm at 8-24 inches. The northern portion of the state had snow accumulation estimated at 8-12 inches, with many counties throughout the western, central and northeast parts of the state seeing accumulations at 12-24 inches.

According to emergency management officials, heavy snow impacted all the interstates, state highways and county roads across the Commonwealth. Interstates 24 and 65 and the Western Kentucky Parkway had numerous wrecks.

Motorists are being evacuated by county emergency personnel, law enforcement and the Kentucky National Guard, and taken to local shelters.

The Kentucky Red Cross has staff at the Boone Center in Frankfort. Currently the Red Cross has opened shelters in Elizabethtown and Radcliff. For more information on shelter locations, go to: http://www.redcross.org

The statewide emergency declaration issued on Thursday by the Governor allows local officials immediate access to state resources to assist in public safety and recovery efforts. A separate emergency order will alleviate certain trucking restrictions so that vehicles carrying emergency supplies may travel through the state more quickly.

According to emergency management officials, a total of 46 counties and 20 cities have declared states of emergency due to the recent storms. Nearly 7,000 households are without power, mainly in the northeast portion of the state.

During extreme weather, the best advice is to stay home, but if you must travel, take an emergency kit along (including blankets), allow extra time, take it slow and allow plenty of space between vehicles. Never drive through flooded areas. Remember…“stop, turn around, don’t drown.”

Road conditions throughout the state can be found on the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s website at: http://www.511.ky.gov or by calling 511 in Kentucky or 1-866-737-3767 for out-of-state callers.

Additional winter safety tips, including winter driving tips, can be found on the KYEM website at: http://www.kyem.ky.gov

(story provided by Governor Steve Beshear's Communications Office) 

Paul Hitchcock earned his Masters in Communications from Morehead State University and Bachelors in Radio-TV/Psychology from Georgetown College. A veteran broadcaster for more than 40 years and an avid fan of blues, jazz and American roots music. Hitchcock has been with WMKY since 1986 and was named General Manager in 2003. He currently hosts "Muddy Bottom Blues" (Fri., 8pm-9pm), "Nothin' But The Blues" (Sat., 8pm-12am), "Sunday Night Jazz Showcase" and "Live From The Jazz Lounge" (Sun., 8pm-9pm) and "The Golden Age of Radio" (Sun., 2pm-3pm). He also serves as producer for "A Time For Tales" and "The Reader's Notebook."
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