Local emergency personnel report that most roads are clear but the ice is building up dangerously on tree limbs and wires.

Estimates at 8 a.m. are that as many as 9,000 area electric customers are out of power this morning. Crews were being dispatched but were attempting to work on the problems which would restore power to the most customers first, then work toward helping individual homes which have lost power.

South Kentucky RECC Vice president of Engineering and Operations Steve Conover said, “We will continue working to restore power to our members. We have every available person at work on these outages and have called in contract crews from Davis H. Elliot to assist us, and we are trying to get everyone affected restored as soon as possible.”

Every county in the South Kentucky RECC service territory has been affected by the ice storm – Russell, Pulaski, McCreary, Wayne, and Clinton – with the north western part of the system being affected the most. Conover says the ice has caused trees and limbs to fall on power lines and break them, and lines are going down due to the weight of the ice.

He adds that he wants to caution against broken power lines. “Never go near a downed power line; just because the line is broken does not mean it is dead. If anyone sees a downed line, they should call us or 911 with the information.”

Emergency Services Director H.M. Bottom reported that there has been some icing on small sections of roads and that overpasses are particularly at risk for freezing.

Road conditions are always available to everyone online at 511.ky.gov or by calling 511.

Motorists also are reminded to give a wide berth to plows, salt trucks and other snow-clearing heavy equipment. To be effective in dispersing de-icing material, trucks tend to travel at a slower speed.  A snow plow may create a snow cloud which can cause a white out or zero visibility condition, so keep a safe distance away from the trucks.

Forecasters are reporting that the rain covering the area at present will likely change to freezing rain and then snow as night falls.