Kentucky Says It’s Better Prepared to Handle Disaster

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It’s been three years since an ice storm paralyzed the western Kentucky region and emergency service coordinators say they’re better prepared in the event of another major disaster.

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet spokesman Keith Todd told The Paducah Sun that a major ice storm today wouldn’t affect the region as dramatically as the one that hit on Jan. 27, 2009.

For example, he says crews have removed many trees that used to sit near roads. He says does more than just remove the risk of a tree falling and blocking the road.

“With the cleared right-of-ways, more sunshine is reaching the pavement and that keeps the roads warm and helps the salt do the work of melting snow and ice,” Todd said.

McCracken County Emergency Management Director Paul Carter says he thinks the entire community is better prepared.

“Since the ice storm, I’ve seen more awareness about emergency situations and planning from both citizens and leaders,” Carter said. “The state has developed a greater ability to provide emergency management and coordinate volunteer efforts.”

He said the area has more generators, home emergency kits and food reserves.

“We’re more in a mindset to help our neighbors and have better preparation for worse situations, like an earthquake,” Carter said.

He said his service also has a new headquarters, which means it is better equipped to handle major events. He said the previous building was leaky and aid workers that used the facility during the ice storm had to deal with knee-deep water in places.

“We’ve moved the emergency management office to a new building where we have bunk rooms, showers, and a large area to run operations and training. We’ve also upgraded communications to communicate with our people, Frankfort and the National Guard,” Carter said.

The brutal ice storm caused 36 deaths and left 769,000 customers without power. Downed trees and utility lines immobilized the western half of the state. The storm caused an estimated $616 million in damages.