Plan ahead, stay informed and be safe
(LOUISVILLE, Ky.) – In observation of Severe Weather Awareness Week in Kentucky, Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities Company urge customers to take the following key steps to prepare for severe weather:
- Plan ahead: Visit www.ready.gov to make a plan and learn how to build an emergency supply kit, which should include items such as prescription medicines, a weather radio, important phone numbers, a first aid kit, flashlights and extra batteries.
- Stay informed: During outage situations, system and restoration updates are provided through the LG&E and KU online outage map and automated phone system. In times of widespread power outages, general restoration information and safety tips are provided on LG&E and KU's website, Facebook page, Twitter feed and Instagram page. There’s also an informative video series about common outage questions on the utilities’ YouTube page.
- Be safe: Always assume any downed wire is an energized power line. Stay away and report it immediately. LG&E customers should call 502-589-1444 and KU customers should call 800-981-0600. Visit lge-ku.com/storm for important safety information concerning portable generators, food storage and electric service.
Before severe weather strikes, LG&E and KU prepare by monitoring weather conditions, placing field crews and business partners on alert and readying operating equipment and material. When responding to major power outages across the utilities' service territory, priority is given to critical-care organizations, such as hospitals, fire and police stations and nursing homes. LG&E and KU crews also focus on restoring service to schools, airports and other utility infrastructure, such as water and sewer pumping stations.
In making repairs, the goal is to fix problems that will restore power to large groups of customers simultaneously, so hundreds or even thousands of customers come back online at one time. LG&E and KU must first repair any critical infrastructure that might be damaged, like transmission lines and substations that carry electricity into neighborhoods and commercial areas, before power can be restored to those locations. Crews then move to restore neighborhoods and then continue to address issues that affect power to individual streets and homes.
In addition to using the numbers above, customers can also report outages by texting OUTAGE to 454358 (4LGEKU) and request updates on their outage by texting STATUS to the same number. While every storm is unique and presents distinct challenges to utility crews, LG&E and KU remain committed to restoring power safely and as quickly as possible — and keeping customers informed.
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Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company, part of the PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) family of companies, are regulated utilities that serve more than 1.3 million customers and have consistently ranked among the best companies for customer service in the United States. LG&E serves 329,000 natural gas and 418,000 electric customers in Louisville and 16 surrounding counties. KU serves 558,000 customers in 77 Kentucky counties and five counties in Virginia. More information is available at www.lge-ku.com and www.pplweb.com.
