LG&E, KU prepare community for emergencies with tips

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — With September being National Preparedness Month, Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company joined FEMA and organizations across the country to educate and empower others to prepare for and respond to all types of emergencies.

LG&E and KU encourage families and communities to plan ahead so they can be as ready as possible for when disasters or emergencies strike.

“For Kentucky Utilities, readiness is critical to what we do every day and so that’s why National Preparedness Month is important to us. We’re in a constant state of preparedness and we want our customers to be prepared as well,” said KU Spokesperson Daniel Lowry.

Below are ways LG&E and KU detailed so you can prepare:

• Make a plan: Whether at home or work, develop an emergency plan involving each person at your location so you’ll know how and where to meet, how you will contact each other and what to do in different situations
• Stock up and make a kit: Gather enough essentials for at least 72 hours, including necessary medicines, water, a crank-powered flashlight, first aid items, a battery-operated radio and extra batteries. Store stock-piled emergency supplies in one location, preferably in air-tight storage. You may have to evacuate at a moment’s notice and take essentials with you. Make an emergency preparedness kit and make sure each member of the household or work location knows where it will be stored. Be sure to make a kit for your vehicle as well
• Keep informed: When power outages occur, LG&E and KU customers can use the utilities’ mobile app to access and keep track of near real-time outage information on the utilities’ online outage map. Customers can also use the app to report their outages and more

LG&E and KU customers can also sign up for outage texting to report an outage to 4LGEKU (454358) and to request status updates from their mobile devices. After customers text OUTAGE and the location of the outage being reported has been confirmed, customers can text STATUS at any time to receive updates regarding when their service might be restored. Once power is back on, the customer will receive a text confirming service has been restored.

• Practice prevention: LG&E and KU customers are also encouraged to help prevent a potential emergency by knowing in advance the important steps to follow to have underground utility lines marked before doing excavation work. This starts by contacting Kentucky 811, a free statewide computer-operated communication system that provides a link between excavators and operators of underground utilities

Not only is using Kentucky 811 the law, but using the service helps to protect the public from emergencies, avoid costly repairs and fines, and guard against the potential for disrupting service to an individual or entire neighborhood. When lines are properly marked in advance, the odds of avoiding dig-in dangers improve by 99%.

If you suspect a natural gas leak ALWAYS leave the area immediately. Do not use the phone, switch a light on or off, strike a match or spend time looking for the source. Go to a neighbor’s home or an area away from the odor and then call LG&E at 502-589-1444 (outside of Louisville at 800-331-7370) to report a potential gas leak.