Two rounds of freezing rain within a week have coated eastern Kentucky and West Virginia in ice, leaving tens of thousands of customers without power across the region’s rugged terrain. Crews from neighboring states are assisting with restoration, but downed trees and icy mountain roads are slowing progress, and some hollows may wait days for service to return.

Terrain Makes Everything Harder

In mountainous country, a single fallen tree can isolate an entire community’s power supply, and every repair takes longer when bucket trucks cannot reach the damage. For families that depend on electric heat or well pumps, extended winter outages are more than uncomfortable. They can force evacuations.

Preparing for Ice Storm Season

• Inspect your standby generator and confirm automatic start and transfer operation.
• Run a test cycle monthly through the winter so problems surface before a storm does.
• Service propane systems and confirm adequate fuel for multi-day outages, common in ice events.
• Consider whole-home backup from Generac or Kohler, sized to run heat, water, and refrigeration together.

Stay Informed

Another storm system is already taking shape in the pattern. Keep a close eye on National Weather Service ice accumulation forecasts through the rest of the month.