COVINGTON, Ky. — Hope for the best and prepare for the worst. That's what officials are encouraging ahead of winter weather in the Tri-State.
A winter storm watch and wind chill watch have been issued for the area through Friday. Several counties are looking at high wind gusts and wind chills down to -20 degrees.
Sally Thelen, communications manager at Duke Energy, said crews will work to address any power issues during the storm.
"We know it's not an ideal time. Everyone is getting ready for Christmas," Thelen said. "People might have company and relatives coming in. They're there to celebrate. The last thing anyone wants is their power to go out. Certainly us too."
But Thelen noted the winds and possible ice could throw crews a curveball. Duke Energy won't be able to fix power lines until winds die down, which means patience could be key. Thelen said there are things residents can do to ensure they are prepared for any issues.
"If it stays windy for a long period of time, it might be a bit before we can do active restoration," she said. "Make sure you have an emergency kit — that your devices are charged."
Kentucky EMA director Jeremy Slinker said people should undo water hoses and check their heaters. If using a generator, make sure it stays outside. Anyone with a portable heater should have a carbon monoxide detector in their home.
"It's placement — what's around it? Could pets knock it over? What's fueling it? Generators are outside. Generators are not to be put inside. I can't emphasize that enough," Slinker said. "There's a lot of times in these events some of the biggest tragedies don't come from the snow and ice, but the tragedies as we discussed there."
While they might not be able to fix it immediately, anyone experiencing an outage should report it to Duke Energy. Text 57801 or visit their mobile app to report any issues.
Winter weather is not supposed to impact the Tri-State during the day Thursday, giving residents time to prep.
"You have time," Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said while announcing a state of emergency. "Time to prepare. Time to know that you need to be weather aware. Time to put together the vehicle kit. Time to make sure you have a plan to know what happens if the power goes out."
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