Gov. Beshear urges Kentuckians to stay inside as outages continue and roads remain dangerous

FRANKFORT, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) — With tens of thousands of homes still without power across Kentucky, Governor Andy Beshear is urging people to stay indoors or head to warming shelters as winter storm conditions continue to create dangerous travel and life-threatening cold.

According to Beshear, nearly 50,000 power outages were still reported across the commonwealth by Sunday afternoon. He said anyone without electricity can find a list of warming shelters statewide through the Kentucky Emergency Management website.

The governor also said the Kentucky National Guard is actively conducting wellness checks and helping transport people impacted by outages to shelters when needed.

At the same time, Beshear is strongly asking drivers to stay off the roads, warning that icy conditions and fuel supply issues could put travelers at serious risk.

“Our roadways and overpasses are slick. The conditions are dangerous. Right now it is simply not safe to drive on our roads,” Beshear said.

He added that travel should be avoided not only because of safety concerns, but also because some areas are experiencing low fuel supplies.

“We’re asking to avoid travel — not only because you can hurt yourself or someone else, but also because fuel available is low in certain parts of Kentucky,” Beshear said. “Tankers are not able to make it through to a lot of our gas stations. You may get to a station and not be able to get fuel and get stuck.”

State officials say those conditions could leave drivers stranded in extreme cold.

Beshear previously declared a statewide state of emergency Friday, activating emergency resources and raising the State Emergency Operations Center in Frankfort to Level Two to help coordinate storm response efforts.

Officials continue urging Kentuckians to monitor local alerts, limit travel unless absolutely necessary, and check on neighbors — especially those who may be elderly or without heat.