Power outages affect thousands amid bitter cold, but rolling outage order lifted

Thousands in Knox County were experiencing power outages Friday as the Tennessee Valley Authority required Knoxville Utilities Board to reduce power load amid extreme cold and wind.

As of 12:30 p.m. Friday, more than 12,500 households in Knox County were without power, and customers were likely to continue experiencing temporary outages until more information is made available from TVA, according to KUB. By 2 p.m., when KUB announced that TVA had lifted the rolling outage requirement, the number without power was down to about 7,260.

KUB stated on its website it was attempting to limit the rolling outages to 15 minutes.

Bearden, Rocky Hill and Sequoyah neighborhoods had been hit the hardest, followed by South Knoxville, according to data from KUB.

Winter storm brings icy wind chill but little snow

The long-awaited winter ”bomb cyclone” is finally starting to move through the area, but the National Weather Service anticipates the little snowfall from early Friday morning is the most Knoxville will see this weekend.

But Christmas Eve could set a record for the lowest max temperature in Knoxville; the predicted high for Christmas Eve is 23 degrees, breaking the record of 24 degrees from 1983.

Given life-threatening temperatures, the National Weather Service’s wind chill warning was still in effect for much of East Tennessee through Saturday afternoon.

High winds knocked out power for at least 6,000 customers overnight, the Knoxville Utilities Board reported on Twitter, but the lights and heat were back on for 99.6% of the area before 8 a.m. Friday.

For those in need of emergency shelter from the cold, the Salvation Army - in partnership with the City of Knoxville, Knox County and other local organizations - is providing large warming tent at 409 N. Broadway now until Tuesday morning. The Salvation Army noted in an announcement that volunteers were needed to help staff the tent over the holiday weekend.

The city of Knoxville reported on Twitter that crews had been out early Friday morning, using salt trucks to treat slick spots on the roads and removing several downed trees.

At least 13 flights out of McGhee Tyson Airport were cancelled as of Friday morning, according to FlightAware, and several others have been delayed. More than 3,100 flights were cancelled across the U.S. as a result of the winter storm.

A NWS wind chill warning lasting from early Friday through 1 p.m. Saturday cited winds gusting up to 50 miles per hour, and resulting wind chills of 10 to 20 degrees below zero in lower elevations, and 25 to 40 degrees below zero at higher elevations.

While lower areas might not have seen any snow worth noting, the higher ones did. A tweet from NWS cited nearly 4 inches of snow in areas about the Great Smoky Mountains Friday morning.

Zoo Knoxville announced on Twitter that the zoo and its Christmas lights display would be closed Friday because of the cold.

Ways to stay warm when it's so cold outside

With temperatures expected to drop well below freezing – below zero in some cases – as frigid Artic air and dangerous wind chills move across East Tennessee, here are a few tips to help you stay warm and safe.

NWS meteorologist Tom Doyle advises people to:

• Dress in extra layers of clothing. If you're going outside, wear several layers of clothing to cover all your extremities so they won’t be exposed to the extreme cold.

• Close windows, curtains and blinds to prevent cold air entering and to insulate heat. Shut doors in unoccupied rooms to preserve heat. You can also place towels or rags under doors and between cracks to help keep rooms in your home warm.

• Food and drink provide energy that also help keep your body warm. But avoid alcohol and caffeine.

These measures could help you to stay warm even if you lose power.

Bring pets inside to keep them warm and protected from dangerously cold temperatures and wind chills.

Preventing frozen pipes

• Frozen pipes can burst and cause other issues. To avoid that disasters, let cold water drip or trickle from facets to help prevent pipes from freezing.

• Insulate and wrap pipes under the kitchen and bathroom sinks and in unheated areas like garages with pipe sleeves, heat cables or even newspapers.

• Keeping your heat at a steady inside temperature throughout the day and night can also help prevent frozen pipes.

Space heater safety

Space heaters can help heat rooms in your home, if used safely. NWS meteorologist Caroline Adcock told USA TODAY Network-Tennessee that space heaters should always be plugged directly into the wall, never into a surge protector. There’s an increased risk of fire if they are plugged into a surge protector because of the amount of power space heaters use.

This article will be updated.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Severe cold engulfs Knoxville as winter bomb cyclone moves through