Monday Kentucky storm update: Thousands still lack power; all JCPS open Tuesday

Jefferson County Public Schools announced overnight that all schools will be open Tuesday.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear provided an update at 10 a.m. on the recovery efforts following the storm that moved through the area Friday.

Thousands of customers locally and many more statewide were still without power Monday morning as power crews continue work on hundreds of downed lines and snapped poles following Friday's wind storm in Kentucky.

Beshear said at his 10 a.m. update that 124,898 residents in the commonwealth were still without power, with no new deaths apart from the five already-reported fatalities.

"I want everybody to have power immediately, and three days is tough, but I do believe a lot of people will see it getting back up today," Beshear said Monday.

Ten drinking water systems in places like Beattyville, Louisville, Science Hill, Edmonson County and Pulaski County were still in "limited operation" due to power issues, not damage, Beshear added.

He said 64 counties and 19 cities had issued emergency declarations since Friday, in addition to the statewide declaration. He said the weather event will likely qualify for a federal disaster declaration on the public assistance side while officials wait to see if the "individual side" will also qualify.

Beshear also shared how he visited McCracken County over the weekend, where an EF-2 tornado hit Fremont. Despite the damage, "what I got to see was the best of humanity," Beshear said.

LG&E spokesperson Liz Pratt said during a Sunday news conference that Friday's storm marked the third worst power outage in the utility's history, following a wind storm in 2008 and an ice storm in 2009. About 341,000 LG&E and KU Energy customers were affected at the height of the outages, but about 200,000 have since had their power restored, she said.

Pratt said about 2,500 power lines were downed and 230 power poles were snapped as a strong line of thunderstorms moved through the commonwealth Friday, dropping several inches of rain and bringing winds that gusted upwards of 79 mph in the Louisville area. The National Weather Service in Louisville determined that three tornadoes, including an EF-1, touched down in various portions of the state.

Sunday updates:2,500 downed lines around the state; out-of-state crews brought in to help restoration efforts

Roughly 1,500 crew members from out of state have been brought in to assist with restoration efforts, Pratt said.

Several trees were downed throughout the city, causing major property damage in some neighborhoods. Two major highways were also shut down for several hours Friday due to the storm. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said seven collection sites will open Monday for residents to dispose of debris.

Here is the latest information available Monday.

6 p.m.: JCPS power outages down to Camp Taylor Elementary

Jefferson County Public Schools spokeswoman Carolyn Callahan said that power had been restored to all schools except one: Camp Taylor Elementary. The Jeffersontown Bus Compound was still without power, she said.

Meanwhile, there were still four schools without internet service.

There were still more than 25,000 customers in the Louisville area without power, according to an LG&E outage map. Across the state, more than 64,000 were still without power.

5 p.m.: Dubois County damage reported after second tornado hits Southern Indiana

The National Weather Service confirmed an EF-1 tornado caused damage Friday in Dubois County, Indiana, which is roughly 70 miles west of Louisville.

The weather service said the twister started around 2:11 p.m. Friday on the west side of the county.

"It first touched down near a barn in the city of Duff, leaving only one wall and the area's tornado siren standing," the National Weather Service said Monday in a damage survey.

The twister also caused "significant damage" to the roof of a barn as well as shingle and siding damage to a home, and it went through neighborhoods west of Jasper before finally causing damage in the Grassland Hills subdivision, with some tree snapping reported, according to the weather service.

The National Weather Service also had previously confirmed an EF-1 tornado hit Friday afternoon halfway between Hanover and Lexington in Jefferson County, Indiana, causing damage to some homes, trees and barns.

2:50 p.m.: Two JCPS schools still without power

As of 2:45 p.m. on Monday, Jefferson County Public Schools had not determined if they would hold classes on Tuesday, according to Carolyn Callahan, spokesperson for JCPS.

Callahan said two schools and one bus compound were still without power and seven were without internet. Power at W.E.B. Dubois was restored on Monday afternoon.

2:15 p.m.: Over 30,000 LG&E customers in Louisville still without power

According to LG&E's outage map, over 30,000 customers in Jefferson County were still without power as of 2:15 p.m. Monday.

Oldham County had about 5,000 customers with power outages as of that same time Monday, and Bullitt County had 172 reported outages, according to LG&E's map.

1:30 p.m.: Power was restored at Highlands Nursing and Rehabilitation

Among the Louisville facilities, businesses, schools and homes that saw power outages over the weekend was Highlands Nursing & Rehabilitation, 1705 Stevens Ave.

Family members of residents at the nursing facility said it was without power for at least 36 hours after Friday's storm.

An employee who answered the phone at Highlands Nursing & Rehabilitation on Monday afternoon said power had been restored at the facility after it was out over the weekend.

The employee otherwise directed The Courier Journal to an administrator for further comment, such as when the power outage started and ended. The administrator did not immediately return a voicemail and email seeking comment.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said in a Sunday afternoon update he was notified about the Highlands Nursing & Rehabilitation outage earlier that day and that crews were sent out "immediately" to try to fix the issue. Greenberg added crews were "resent" to the facility about two hours prior to the Sunday afternoon news conference, which began around 2:30 p.m., and "that hopefully power is back on."

Jarrett Haley, executive director of the Kentuckiana Regional Planning and Development Agency, which includes older adults among the various groups it serves, told The Courier Journal in a Monday morning email that KIPDA's case managers "were in contact with clients throughout the weekend and none indicated they were in distress."

9:35 a.m.: Three Jefferson County Public Schools still without power

Three Jefferson County Public Schools − W.E.B. DuBois Middle, Okolona Elementary and Camp Taylor Elementary − were still without power Monday morning, according to Carolyn Callahan, a JCPS spokesperson.

The Jeffersontown Bus Compound was also without power, Callahan said. At least 14 schools are without internet.

5:40 a.m. update: 81,000 without power

As of 5:30 a.m., LG&E is reporting more than 81,000 customers without power. Of that, around 35,000 are in Jefferson County.

Are schools closed Monday?

JCPS district spokesperson Carolyn Callahan said Sunday that nine schools had partial or no power and another 25 had lost internet access.

District officials canceled all classes and extracurricular activities Friday ahead of the storms. A makeup day has not yet been scheduled.

Jefferson County Public Schools announced classes will be canceled Monday. A release Sunday evening said that there are nine schools without or with partial power and another 25 without internet access.

"While crews continue to work throughout the night to restore power to as many schools as possible, we know our families and staff were impacted by the storm," a release from Carolyn Callahan, JCPS spokeswoman said. "We want to support our families and staff, so all JCPS schools will be closed Monday, March 6, 2023. This day will operate like a traditional snow day with no NTI for students and staff."

Callahan said in the release that the KHSAA Regional Basketball Tournament will continue Monday, but all other activities are canceled.

Bullitt County Public Schools announced late Sunday it would be closed Monday due to power still not being restored to all facilities along with network systems issues and impassable bus routes. The makeup day will be May 31.

Where are the waste drop-off sites in Louisville?

Crews will start working on clearing alleys Monday. The city will open seven sites for yard waste drop-off, which will operate 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Full details are available on the city's website.

• Shawnee Park: 4501 West Broadway

• Public Works Yard: 10500 Lower River Road (enter from Bethany Lane)

• Near Fairdale Elementary: 10618 W. Manslick Road

• Fern Creek Park: 8703 Ferndale Road

• Smith Creek Compost Facility: 13312 Aiken Road (tree debris only; bulky waste not accepted)

• Public Works Yard: 595 N. Hubbards Lane

• Waste Reduction Center: 636 Meriwether Ave.

For those in the urban service district, weekly yard waste collection will resume Monday.

Mobile food pantry to deploy

To help those experiencing food challenges due to the storm, the Dare to Care food bank is dispatching its mobile pantry March 6-7.

• Catholic Enrichment Center, 3146 West Broadway, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

• Newburg Community Center, 4810 Exeter Ave., 1-3 p.m.

• St. Stephen’s Baptist Church, 1015 S. 18th St., 5-7 p.m.

Existing mobile pantry stops scheduled for March 7 will be fortified.

• Portland PACT, 2500 Portland Ave., 10-11:30 a.m.

• Holy Name Catholic Church, 2933 S. Fourth St., 1:30-2:30 p.m.

What happened Friday?

A strong storm ripped through Kentucky on Friday, dropping several inches of rain throughout the state. High-speed winds followed, dropping trees and power lines and causing widespread damage.

At least five people were killed due to the storm, Beshear said Saturday: a 23-year-old man in Edmonson County, a 63-year-old man in Logan County, an 84-year-old man in Bath County, a 68-year-old man in Simpson County and a 41-year-old woman in Fayette County.

Louisville officials do not believe the storm caused any deaths in Jefferson County, but it did lead to widespread property damage and at least two major interstate closures Friday, as wind speeds in the region peaked at 79 mph.

Schools were out Friday in anticipation of the storm but were expected to be back in session Monday.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky storms: How many without power, are schools closed Monday?