LG&E technicians working to stay on top of power outages

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Since the start of Thursday's winter storm, about 40,000 LG&E customers have been impacted by power outages.

As of 4:30 p.m. Friday, an estimated 1,013 customers were without power in Kentucky.

The utility company said both extreme cold and high winds pose challenges. High winds, in particular, can cause tree limbs covered with snow and ice to break and fall into power lines. Wind gusts can also blow power lines into each other.

There are more than 350 technicians out in the field, and a public safety response team is working to stay on top of any outages.

"Of course, safety is paramount, so if you do see a down line, we ask you to please consider that to be energized," said Liz Pratt, media relations manager for LG&E. "Stay away. Move away from that area immediately and contact us right away."

LG&E does expect outage numbers to continue to fluctuate. Customers should report any power outages they experience. That can be done by calling 502-589-1444 or 800-331-7370, texting OUTAGE to 454358, or through the LG&E phone app. For more information on reporting an outage, click here.

To look at LG&E's outage map, click here. You can also text STATUS to 454358 for outage updates.