FRANKFORT, KY: Feb. 20, 2012 – A winter storm dumping up to eight inches of wet, heavy snow led to more than 34,000 power outages for Kentucky Power Company customers Sunday and today. The storm caused and continues to cause major damage to power lines, utility poles and other electrical equipment leading to the power outages. Snow-laden trees and tree branches continued to snap, break and fall overnight and today leading to many additional outage cases.

Kentucky Power restoration crews began work immediately, assessing damage and making repairs to circuits affected by the storm. Crews worked to restore outages that would only re-occur as snow continued to fall and cause damage. At this time, based on current damage and outage estimates, company officials say it could be as late as this weekend before all customers in its service area affected by the storm are returned to service. The company is utilizing more than 340 additional linemen and assessors to aid in restoration efforts.  Many were brought in before the storm hit. The company will bring in additional resources if needed.

Company officials have reported downed power lines and broken utility poles in several locations and caution 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 Noon today, approximately 34,146 customers are without power, across the company’s southeastern service area. Company officials explained these numbers can rise and fall throughout the overnight hours as the storm continues to manifest itself and new outage situations are identified, reported and/or addressed. 

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.

*Note:  Near total restoration estimate. Estimates are subject to change given work progress. Most customers will be returned to service well before the time/date indicated.

PLEASE NOTE: 

Customers and media representatives can track current power outages in their area by going to www.kentuckypower.com and clicking on the “February 19, 2012 Snow 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.  

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.

###