Local power companies experience outages after high winds down trees, powerlines

Updated Information

As of 7 p.m., Jackson Purchase Electric said crews had reduced the number of customers without power from 11,000 to 2,700.

“Our crews will continue to work throughout the night,” JPEC said in a Facebook post. “As it gets darker, the restoration time increases. We plan to have an update tomorrow morning by 9 AM.”

As of about 7:25 p.m., Gibson Electric said 2,268 member homes and businesses remained without power, and crews were working on 98 outage trouble spots.

“We’d like for the outage number to be zero, but we are pleased that it is down significantly from this morning’s high of 14,525,” Gibson Electric said in a news release.

“We know an outage of any length is difficult for our members and we want to restore service as quickly as possible. However, we also must protect our lineworkers’ safety; so we will soon be sending them to get a meal and then home for some much needed rest. They will be back at work early tomorrow morning and will be most productive when rested and working in the daylight. Thankfully, 18 additional lineworkers from Arkansas will be coming to help us make the needed repairs tomorrow,” the news release said. “In the meantime, if you choose to use a generator, we urge you to do it safely. Hire a qualified, licensed electrician to do the installation and follow the operating instructions. If installed or used improperly, a generator can cause carbon monoxide poisoning to those using it. It also can kill our lineworkers who are working to restore your electric service. If you connect a portable electric generator to the main electrical supply coming into the house, the electrical generator can feed back into Gibson EMC’s electric system and electrocute workers who believe they are working on de-energized lines.”

As of about 9 p.m., Paducah Power’s outage map was only showing one outage.

PADUCAH, KY — Many Local 6 viewers have experienced power outages Friday because of high winds and storms that moved through the region.

Jackson Purchase Energy Cooperation and Paducah Power Service told Local 6 members have been experiencing outages after severe weather brought down trees and power poles.

Rather than call to report an outage, Jackson Purchase Energy is asking members to either text reports of outages by texting “OUT” to 855-938-3622, or report them through the JPEC smart hub app via the App Store or Google Play. In a social media post, the utility co-op said it has received reports of multiple broken poles and downed lines impacting at least 4,000 customers. JPEC is asking members to stay away from downed lines and avoid attempting to clear trees.

Additionally, the Paducah Power System outage map shows several outages across town. To access Paducah Power’s outage map, click here.

Paducah Power Company outage map at 1:50 p.m.

Paducah Power Company

Meanwhile, Gibson Electric says as of about 5:30 p.m. Friday, it’s dealing with outages across its 12-county service area. There are 118 outage locations, and 4,592 members’ homes and businesses without power.

Gibson Electric sent Local 6 a statement with this information for members:

“We appreciate the 3 four-man crews from Service Electric, the 2 four-man crews from Cruse Electric and our own employees who are working diligently to restore service to everyone. Unfortunately, the damage is so widespread and extensive that we expect this may be a multi-day outage. We are still working, but if you are currently without power and must have it for a medical or other reason, you may want to make alternative accommodations.

“To help protect your refrigerated and frozen food, keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. Doing so will help maintain the cold air temperature. The Food and Drug Administration says the refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened and a full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed. Visit the FDA website for more food safety information.

“To be sure that your home or business is ready to receive electric service, check your meter base and riser for damage. If either has been damaged, call an electrician to make repairs. This must be done before Gibson EMC can restore your service.

“We are very sorry for the inconvenience and will restore your service as quickly as it is safely possible.”

To view Gibson Electric’s outage map, click here.

This article has been updated Friday evening with more information from Gibson Electric.

Tags: Companies, Experience, HIGH, Local, News, outages, power, powerlines, trees, winds