As of 9 AM Friday, Gov. Andy Beshear was able to confirm two deaths caused by the effects of Thursday’s winter storm which rolled through the eastern part of the United States late Thursday night.
A vehicle accident in western Kentucky claimed one unnamed individual, while a stranded Louisville civilian with insecure housing claimed the other.
Like many authorities Friday, Beshear — alongside Kentucky Emergency Management and the Department of Transportation — advised it is “too dangerous” to be on the roads Friday and into early Saturday, and “too dangerous” to be outside for long periods of time.
By Christmas Day, temperatures will be back up in the mid-20s, by the middle of next week the mid-30s, and in the mid-50s by New Year’s Day.
Beshear noted that interstate travel on both I-71 and I-64 had sincere complications throughout the evening and early Friday hours, and that the Kentucky National Guard has reported to both at different intervals.
If one were to go outside today, Kentucky’s Emergency Management Director Jeremy Slinker said it would be best to:
— Wear fabrics that will hold more body heat and don’t absorb moisture.
— These include natural fibers like wool, goose down and fleece, to retain heat and trap air close to the body.
— And that wearing water and wind-resistant outer layers will help reduce loss of body heat.
Slinker also said that pets need to be kept inside if possible, or wrapped for outdoor trips, and their paws need to be wiped in order to avoid hypothermic concerns.
Slinker’s biggest concern, however, is those using generators — especially with rolling blackouts coming, and the state’s 24,000 or so without power as of 9 AM Friday.
Secretary of Transportation Jim Gray iterated that the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will continue its road-clearing efforts on interstates and parkways first, before shifting to secondary roads.
Gray said that it seemed like early warnings to the public were heeded.
For more information on the state’s highway conditions, visit snowky.ky.gov.
