LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Most people in Louisville have their power back four days after Sunday's storms.
LG&E said crews have worked around the clock to restore electricity, and just a few hundred people were still in the dark by Thursday afternoon.
LG&E posted on social media that some customers with damage to equipment at their home might be responsible for repairs before power can be restored.
"In some cases, crews are identifying damages that may have occurred to the customer's property or to the customer's equipment," said Liz Pratt, director of internal and external communications for LG&E and KU. "In those cases, the crews will notify the customer and we encourage customers to hire a licensed electrician to make any necessary repairs."
This graphic from LG&E and KU shows what connections homeowners are responsible for repairing in the event of a major outage. Everything that is yellow is the homeowner's responsibility. Blue is the responsibility of LG&E and KU. Image courtesy of LG&E and KU. May 29, 2024
Thursday around noon, Callista Raisor was thrilled to see crews working outside her home in east Louisville. It was a ray of hope that her power could be back on soon.
"I have to take my phone out to the car to get it charged, but I sit there with this light around my neck so I can knit. I've got to do something because it's driving me crazy," she said.
Raisor, who is recovering from knee surgery, has been without electricity since Sunday. That means no lights, no internet, and no way to style her hair with heat.
"I have to go to the doctor so I had to try to do something. So, I couldn't use my curling iron or my blow dryer, so I had to resort to my curlers," she said.
While she does have a generator, it was being used to power the freezer filled with pre-made meals in anticipation of the surgery. But it's not powering much else, including the exercise bike she had planned to be using for her doctor's office to track her post-operation therapy.
"I'm tired of this. I'm ready to get back to normal. Get back on my bike," she said.
Callista Raisor, recovering from knee surgery, waits for power to be restored to her Louisville home on May 30, 2024. (WDRB image)
At the height of the storm, LG&E and KU said nearly 200,00 customers were without power across Kentucky, and around 90,000 of those were in Jefferson County.
The storm over Memorial Day weekend downed trees and 2,000 powerlines and snapped almost 250 utility poles. Damage was reported in different neighborhoods across Louisville.
"This storm, from an impact's perspective, is the fourth most impactful storm on the LG&E and KU system in the last 20 years," said Pratt.
Some utility customers may have questions about what they are responsible for repairing and what the company will fix. The difference is explained on the LG&E service connection page of its website.
- Houses: Homeowners are responsible for repairing connections above ground including the meter box, riser conduit, service stack and the weatherhead. LG&E is responsible for the meter and service line.
- Mobile and manufactured homes: Owners are responsible for the conduit, meter box and pole. LG&E handles the meter and service line.
This graphic from LG&E and KU shows what connections homeowners are responsible for repairing in the event of a major outage. Everything that is yellow is the homeowner's responsibility. Blue is the responsibility of LG&E and KU. Image courtesy of LG&E and KU. May 29, 2024
Bryant Heating and Cooling in Louisville said it has received calls from several homeowners after the storm. Repairs can take an hour to fix or longer, according to Bryant's regional director Jamason Welker.
"We're really quick. We're going to get out to you the same day and make repairs the same day," he said.
Welker said on average, repairing a damaged weatherhead can cost about $1,000. He said in extreme cases where a panel has been hit by lightning, the prices can be in the thousands of dollars, but insurance companies often work with homeowners to help cover those repairs.
"If you see that weatherhead is busted, broken, bent, that is on you," he added. "If it is from that weatherhead over to the utility pole, that's generally the utility company."
LG&E said if a homeowner notices power has been restored around them but their power isn't on yet, call the utility company.
Related Stories:
- Thousands in Louisville still waiting for power to be restored after Sunday storms
- 5 deaths confirmed from Sunday's severe storms that dropped several tornadoes in Kentucky
- At least 1 dead in Louisville, thousands without power as storms move through Kentuckiana
- LG&E says heavy winds in Louisville area caused 'multi-day restoration event'
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