FRANKFORT, KY: July 1, 2012 – Kentucky Power personnel continue to restore power to approximately 19,300 customers following a severe storm that passed through Eastern Kentucky Friday evening.  That storm led to more than 63,800 power outages for Kentucky Power Company and more than 1.3 million for its parent company, American Electric Power. The storm caused major damage to power lines, utility poles and other electrical equipment leading to the power outage cases across the company’s service area.

Kentucky Power restoration crews have been working since the storm hit to assess damage and make repairs.  At this time, based on damage and outage estimates, company officials say it could be as late as Friday, July 6 before all customers in its service area affected by the storm are returned to service (although most customers will have power restored well before then). The company has brought in 380 professionals from outside utilities and electrical contractors to aid in the restoration effort.

Company officials say downed power lines persist in some areas and crews are working to repair a number of broken utility poles in several locations. Kentucky Power cautions eastern Kentucky residents to never approach downed power lines. No matter how harmless a downed wire may appear, it should be considered energized and dangerous.  Report all downed power lines to Kentucky Power at (800) 572-1113 or notify local emergency or law enforcement officials immediately.  Never approach or touch anything that comes in contact with a downed power line.

As of 8 p.m. today, approximately 19,300 customers remain without power, across the company’s service area.  Approximately 70 percent of customers originally impacted by the storm have seen their power restored. Company officials explained these numbers can rise and fall throughout the day as the storm continues to manifest itself and new outage situations are identified, reported and/or addressed.  Severe weather is again possible today and tomorrow and could produce additional outage cases.

At this time the company provided the following outage numbers by service area:

Kentucky Power does not serve all residents of the counties listed.  Many are served by other utilities.

Restoration Estimates #:

Boyd, Carter, Greenup, Lawrence, Lewis, Rowan Counties: Friday, July 6

Floyd, Knott, Martin, Pike Counties: (90%) Thursday, July 5

# Subject to change or revision

PLEASE NOTE: 

Customers and media representatives can track current power outages in their area by going to www.kentuckypower.com and clicking on the “Kentucky June 29 Severe Summer Storm” link in the red box at the top of the page.  To see a list of power outages by county, click the “Outages & Problems” tab, then the “view outage map.” The outage map site is updated continuously.    

Due to the extensive number of outage cases across Kentucky Power and the AEP System, customers may see delays in reaching our Solution Center to report power outages.  Please be patient in reaching a customer service representative or use the automated service available or kentuckypower.com to report outages.

 Kentucky Power is an operating unit of American Electric Power and provides electricity to approximately 173,000 customers in all or parts of 20 Eastern Kentucky counties.

American Electric Power is one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity to more than 5 million customers in 11 states. AEP ranks among the nation’s largest generators of electricity, owning nearly 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. AEP also owns the nation’s largest electricity transmission system, a nearly 39,000-mile network that includes more 765 kilovolt extra-high voltage transmission lines than all other U.S. transmission systems combined. AEP’s transmission system directly or indirectly serves about 10 percent of the electricity demand in the Eastern Interconnection, the interconnected transmission system that covers 38 eastern and central U.S. states and eastern Canada, and approximately 11 percent of the electricity demand in ERCOT, the transmission system that covers much of Texas. AEP’s utility units operate as AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana and east Texas). AEP’s headquarters are in Columbus, Ohio.

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