LG&E says heavy winds in Louisville area caused 'multi-day restoration event'

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- LG&E officials said late Sunday that storms throughout the day and night caused a multi-day restoration event.

Liz Pratt, a spokesperson for LG&E and KU, said Monday morning that about 700 workers and personnel from surrounding states joined forces to work on restoring power in the area after the "hurricane-force winds."

The storms impacted about 120,000 LG&E and KU customers. There's also been reports of nearly 1,000 downed wires.

IMAGES | Strong winds, severe weather moves through Kentuckiana on Sunday

"We understand what a power outage does and we understand how this is affecting you and your families and our businesses," Pratt said Monday morning as crews assembled at the Kentucky Exposition Center. "We appreciate our customers' patience and we will be working safely and as quickly as possible to get power restored."

Mayor Craig Greenberg said at least one person died from the storms when he was hit by a tree. According to Louisville Metro Police Sgt. Matt Sanders, an initial call came in at 12:32 p.m. in the 10700 block of Hobbs Station Road near Anchorage. Some neighbors said they don't believe the man lived in the neighborhood. They think he was there working for a client.

Police said the man was hit by a tree and was pronounced dead at the scene. LMPD's Homicide Unit is on scene conducting a death investigation, Sanders said.

"Please join me in holding this family in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time, may their memory be a blessing," Greenberg posted on X.

The National Weather Service is out conducting damage surveys Monday to assess damage. Three locations — a portion of eastern Meade and north Hardin counties, a spot in Grayson County and another in Butler and Warren counties — will be the focus Monday.

📌(Updated 5/27/24 at 200PM) Damage survey crews are assessing damage from the May 26th, 2024 Event.
Information will be updated as survey results are determined.
Survey results in Butler and Meade/Hardin Counties concluded at least an EF1 tornado.#kywx #inwx pic.twitter.com/S4AxKdZEDR
— NWS Louisville (@NWSLouisville) May 27, 2024

As of 10 a.m. Monday, nearly 40,000 customers in Jefferson County were without power. Meade County RECC said that as of 10 a.m. Monday, there were 4,100 outages across its system, mostly concentrated in Meade and Breckinridge counties.

Related Stories: