Power Outage in Ashland, KY

In Catlettsburg, portions of Center Street were closed due to a partial building collapse. Several downed electric poles had all lanes of US 23 closed between Interstate 64 and KY 3294, and at the intersection of Cannonsburg Road. Nearly 25,000 homes were without power in Boyd County as a result of downed trees and power lines.

Near the community of Rockdale, a tree fell onto power lines and resulted in power outages for 62 customers.

Numerous power outages were observed in and around the town of Cannonsburg due to downed trees and power lines.

Multiple trees and power lines were knocked down in the town of Summitt.

Many utility customers lost power due to trees and lines down.

A fallen tree resulted in a power outage affecting seventeen customers.

A tree fell onto power lines and smashed an unoccupied vehicle.

A large branch was blown down along Woodland Avenue. The tree fell on a power line and brought it down too.

Large tree branches fell. Power lines were down in roadways.

Several trees were blown down. Electric power outages occurred.

At least 10 trees were blown down. A few homes and vehicles were damaged. Power lines were also knocked down.

Trees were blown down onto power lines.

Trees were blown down. Some power lines were brought down. One tree fell onto a car.

Trees fell onto power lines.

Trees and power lines fell.

A few large trees and power lines were blown down. A transformer was damaged in the Westwood vicinity.

The month of April had a windy start as the result of a strong disturbance crossing through the Great Lakes region. Two frontal passages paved the way for strong winds aloft to mix down to the surface, especially after the mid morning hours on April 1st. ||As the afternoon progressed, wind gusts of 40-50 miles per hour were common throughout eastern Kentucky, with thousands of homes losing power as a direct result of strong winds knocking down nearby trees and power lines. The persistent strong gusts also led to a partial buidling collapse in Catlettsburg, with debris spilling onto the nearby road and obstructed traffic for a time.||By the late evening hours and overnight into April 2nd, the disturbance trekked northeastward and strong winds at the surface gradually diminished. However, power restoration efforts extended into the next several days as utility companies worked to reconstruct power poles and lines.

A surface cold front accompanying a strong low pressure system erupted in strong to severe thunderstorms across northeast Kentucky on the afternoon of March 3rd. This led to downed trees in the area and power outages for local residents in Greenup, Lawrence, and Boyd Counties.

Strong winds were observed on the afternoon of March 3rd into the early morning hours of the 4th as the result of a low level jet accompanying a strong low pressure system. Numerous power outages were observed across northeast Kentucky during this time as trees and power lines were blown down from wind gusts as strong as 58-60 miles per hour. Once the disturbance sprinted into New England late that night, winds were able to calm down at the surface.

The hot and humid afternoon of July 6th brought forth strong to severe thunderstorms as a cold front remained parked in close vicinity to the area. Damaging wind gusts associated with these storms resulted in several downed trees and power lines within the Flatwoods and Summit townships.

A complex winter storm brought a mixture of rain, sleet and freezing rain to most of the region, with snow in the mountains, on Sunday January 16th. The mixed precipitation changed to snow from west to east during the late afternoon into the evening and the snow fell heavily at times overnight and early Monday morning. As the parent storm system moved to our northeast, the snow became more showery in nature into Monday afternoon, with snow showers lingering in the mountains through Tuesday morning.||The heaviest snow fell along the Ohio River Valley in northeast Kentucky, where 6 to 10 inches occurred. Elsewhere in the area, generally 4 to 8 inches fell. The snow began wet and heavy, which caused power outages where the heaviest snow fell. Several thousand households were out of power in northeast Kentucky.

The third significant winter storm in a week moved into the area during the late evening hours of February 17th. What began as snow, transitioned to a wintry mix in some areas as the night progressed. The highest snow totals were generally in northeastern Kentucky through northern West Virginia. The local public and cooperative observers noted between 3 to 5 inches of snow fell across northeastern Kentucky.||Two unattended elderly woman died in their homes from hypothermia in Boyd County on the afternoon during this storm. Their power was out due to a previously significant ice storm that prompted three quarters of the county to lose power due to downed trees and powerlines. With hazardous weather ongoing, power companies struggled to restore power across eastern Kentucky in time for this event. The snow accumulating on top of ice from previous storms also caused additional tree damage and power outages.

A fast moving, yet significant winter storm moved through the area on the morning of February 15th. As the system moved through, a warm nose of air moving northward resulted in a second round of mixed precipitation in just a few short days after the previous storm. ||The ice accumulations from the system provided the biggest impacts across the region. This was the second significant ice event in 5 days. As a result, once again tree damage and power outages occurred. According to the local utility company, around 99 percent of Lawrence County and 60 percent of Boyd County were without power due to downed trees and powerlines.

A high impact event affected eastern Kentucky beginning on the morning of February 10th, as a wave of precipitation pressed into the area in response to a stationary boundary close by. This resulted in a mixed bag of winter precipitation across the area, with significant ice accumulations in eastern Kentucky. A quarter to almost half an inch of ice accumulations were measured by local cooperative observers in addition to an inch of snow that fell during this event.||Significant damage from this storm included extensive tree damage, widespread power outages, and terrible road conditions in Greenup and Carter Counties. Icicles developed on power lines and cables, which prompted further problems for future February winter events.

A strong storm system moved through the Great Lakes on the 11th and 12th. Ahead of this system, temperatures on the afternoon of the 11th soared into the mid and upper 70s, driven by strong southerly winds. Gusts were regularly measured in the 40-50 mph range, which caused isolated tree and utility line damage. A line of showers and thunderstorms developed in the lower Ohio River Valley along a cold front, and quickly raced eastward through the late afternoon and evening. By the time these got to the middle Ohio River Valley, no lightning was present, but the convective showers were still packing gusty outflow winds, producing additional tree and utility damage reported. The actual cold front surged through late that night, with another round of 40-50 mph winds, causing more power outages.

A strong low pressure system moved through the Great Lakes on the 26th and 27th. This pushed a cold front through the middle Ohio River Valley on the afternoon of the 27th. Very strong synoptic winds behind the front led to a couple thousand utility company customers losing power as multiple trees fell onto power lines across Boyd and Greenup Counties. The automated weather system at the Ashland Airport measured a max gust of 44 mph just before 1 PM EST.

A warm front lifted northward into Kentucky on the evening of the 23rd, promoting widespread showers and a few isolated thunderstorms due to the close proximity of an approaching cold front. Almost two inches of rain fell between the evening of the 23rd and the morning of the 24th.||Behind the cold front, very gusty winds developed with most areas seeing gusts of 40 to 50 knots. Combined with the soggy ground, these winds led to power outages due to downed trees and power lines. Nearly a thousand power customers lost power, and it took a couple days for all service to be restored.

A strong cold front swept through the middle Ohio River Valley on the 20th. This brought a round of gusty winds which led to scattered tree damage and power outages. Several thousand power customers experienced outages in northeastern Kentucky.

A strong cold front moved through the middle Ohio River Valley on the evening of the 18th. Ahead of the front, in unseasonably warm air, a strong low level jet resulted in gusty winds during the late morning and afternoon. Additional strong wind gusts occurred in showers along and just ahead of the cold front.||Many trees were blown down across Northeast Kentucky, with multiple power outages as a result. Two women received minor injuries when a tree fell on them in Central Park in Ashland, the park bench they were sitting on was destroyed. A vehicle was also struck by that falling tree. Around the time of the incident, the automated weather station at the nearby Ashland Regional Airport reported a 38 mph wind gust.

A cold front whipped through during the evening with only a few light showers or sprinkles. The front was associated with a strong flow aloft and falling temperatures. ||Wind gusts of 45 to 55 mph were common during the late afternoon into the evening. ||There were no injuries. Minor damage and power outages occurred. Debris and broken tree limbs were blown onto roads. A brick facade on a building, covering an older outer wall, partially fell in Ashland. A few windows were blown out of a community center. Carter County had over a 1,000 customers without power, with nearly 600 people affected in Boyd County.

An enhanced west to east band of wet snow developed across eastern Kentucky into southern West Virginia on the 3rd, ahead of a weak low pressure system. ||Temperatures were in the low and mid 30s. Snow accumulations on the grass and trees were under an inch along the Ohio River around Ashland and Greenup. However, interior sections of northeast Kentucky saw 3 to 4 inches. For example, the cooperative observers near Warnock and Olive Hill, plus a spotter near Carter Caves, all measured 3.5 inches of snow. Across Lawrence County, elevation dependent accumulations of 4 to 6 inches were common. ||The wet snow caused power outages. These were most numerous in Lawrence County. Over 1500 customers were without electricity during the evening hours in Lawrence County. Snow laden tree branches hung low. The Cherryville Fire Department in Lawrence County even responded to a tree fire, due to branches contacting the power lines.

A strengthening low pressure system tracked east into northern Ohio and the Lake Erie vicinity by the early evening. Temperatures had peaked near 70 degrees during the early and mid afternoon. The powerful cold front, associated with the storm system, streaked through between 1800E and 2000E. Wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph occurred with the showers associated with the front. Louisa measured a gust to 40 mph. As colder air moved in, winds continued overnight, but gusts were not as strong.||A few trees fell causing isolated power outages. A few hundred customers were reported without electricity.

A mesoscale convective complex moved southeast and passed through northeast Kentucky during the afternoon hours on the 13th.||More thunderstorms formed in northern Ohio ahead of a cold front and mid level disturbance during the midday and early afternoon on the 14th. These storms formed into a squall line and moved southeast, through northeast Kentucky during the late afternoon and early evening. Wind damage occurred,causing electrical power outages. Also, flash flooding and river flooding were seen due to the saturated soils and streams running well above normal mid summer flows. ||This episode, combined with the July 18th and 19th episode, qualified both Carter and Lawrence Counties in the federal disaster that was eventually declared for several counties in Kentucky. See FEMA disaster 4239 for more details.

A warm front lifted north through northeast Kentucky on the 3rd with a quarter to a half inch of rain. Late afternoon and evening temperatures rose into the 50s. Winds and dew points also increased. This combination helped accelerate the melting of the leftover snow pack.||Rains increased again overnight and continued on the 4th. Rain rates were mostly 1 to 2 tenths of an inch per hour. Total rainfall of 1.5 to 2 inches became common by that evening.||As minor small stream flooding occurred, the rain changed to sleet and wet snow during the early evening of the 4th. Heavy wet snow quickly accumulated during the late evening on the 4th and into the morning hours of Thursday the 5th.||The snow diminished by early afternoon of the 5th. A total snow accumulation of 10 to 15 inches was common, with the heaviest over northern Greenup County. For example, the cooperative observer at Warnock measured a 15 inch accumulation. Olive Hill measured 13 inches. ||After transitioning from rain to snow, the wet snow accumulated on trees, especially evergreen trees. Power outages were common. ||With clearing in the wake of the storm, a cold early morning occurred on the 6th, for so late in the season. Minimum temperatures ranged from near zero along the rivers to well below zero in outlying areas. The coldest temperature was 12 below zero from Olive Hill of Carter County. Warnock in Greenup County had minus 4. Meanwhile, Louisa registered a minimum temperature of zero.||Eventually, the Ohio River had minor flooding. Overall, both the stream and river flooding mainly blocked roads with little damage to structures.||Due to the minor flooding and the heavy snow, a federal disaster was eventually declared for public assistance. The declaration included all 4 counties in northeast Kentucky. See FEMA disaster number 4218.

Another arctic front swept through during the early and mid afternoon of the 14th. Temperatures dropped from the mid 30s into the teens in a few hours. In the wake of the front, wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph were common into the night. A few power outages occurred in Lawrence County. A burst of snow occurred along the front. Accumulations were mostly an inch or less.||Temperatures dropped into the single digits by dawn on the 15th. For example, Olive Hill was 2 degrees above zero.||Early on the 15th, wind chill readings of minus 10 to minus 15 were common.

Ahead of a slow moving mid level trough in the Missouri, warm and humid air returned to northeast Kentucky on the 10th. Sunshine helped temperatures reach into the mid 80s during the afternoon. An arch of thunderstorms moved northeast out of Tennessee during the late afternoon and moved through during the early evening. A well defined shelf cloud was observed on the leading edge of the squall line. Wind gusts of 45 to 50 mph were widespread. For example, the cooperative observer near Warnock measured a 45 mph gust just around 1855E. Louisa had a measured gust to 48 mph around 1905E. A few spots received slightly stronger wind gusts. Electrical power outages were common.

An arctic cold front sweep through northeast Ohio just after midnight on Monday the 6th. Rain showers and temperatures in the upper 40s and lower 50s quickly became snow showers with temperatures falling through the 20s by the predawn hours. Snow accumulations were less than 2 inches. Temperatures continued to fall during the day on the 6th, with blustery winds. Readings reached down to either side of zero by sunset. ||Temperatures at dawn on the 7th were mostly around 5 below zero. Wind chill readings bottomed out in the minus 20 to minus 25 degree range overnight and into the morning hours.||Despite sunshine, temperatures were slow to rise during the day on the 7th. However, winds did subside during the afternoon.||A scattering of frozen pipes, power outages, home furnace difficulties, and vehicular engine problems occurred during the cold wave. There were over 100 leaks in the Greenup water system, affecting around 2,500 customers. Repair companies were kept busy. County public schools were closed.

On the second day of a developing heat wave, under a sunny sky, afternoon temperatures reached above 100 degrees across most of northeast Kentucky. For example, Warnock in Greenup County had 104 degrees. Both Grayson and Ashland reached 103 degrees that Friday afternoon. Meanwhile, an area of multi-cellular convection had moved out of northern Illinois that morning. It continued to organize and strengthen, as it propagated east and southeast across northern Indiana into western Ohio during the afternoon. As it moved toward southeast Ohio, it had already formed into a large arch of storms, or bow, with a developing cool pool in its wake. The temperature contrast between the air ahead of the developing derecho, compared to that in its wake was reaching 30 to 35 degrees. The resultant wind shift in the cool pool resulted in strong moisture convergence on the leading edge of the complex. This in turn, helped drive the storms further southeast, away from the mid and upper level wind support. However, the complex was diving right into that hot air that had obtained large convective available potential energy, on the order of 4000 to 5000 j/kg. ||The complex crossed the Ohio River into northeast Kentucky just after the hottest time of the day. The outflow, or gust front, had already outraced the rain. There were even brush fires ahead of the gust front. The wind with the gust front picked up dust and debris in some areas. The mature system caused the strong gusts to be longer in duration than found in most severe thunderstorms. In some cases the strong wind gusts lasted around 10 minutes. ||Wind gusts of 55 to 70 mph were likely with the leading gust front across portions of northeast Kentucky. In the wake of these stronger winds gusts, the storms only provided around a third of an inch of rain or less. Warnock had around a third of an inch of rain, while Ashland measured only 0.14 inches. Grayson had a meager 0.08 inches.||The wind caused trees and large branches to fall in scattered locations. Roads were temporarily blocked. However, the largest impact was on the electric power grid. Prolong power outages occurred. The lack of electricity in the midst of the heat wave, disrupted the daily routines of many citizens for several days. On the order of 25 to 30 thousand customers were without electricity in these 4 northeast Kentucky counties. It took some 4 to 7 days to restored electricity in some areas. Workers trying to restore the electricity had to take frequent breaks due to the heat and the safety equipment they had to wear. Water and ice were in high demand. Refrigerated food spoiled.

Snow moved up the Ohio River Valley and overspread northeast Kentucky during the predawn hours of Tuesday the 27th. The snow quickly accumulated 2 to 5 inches by late morning. | |By afternoon, the snow had decreased and transitioned to intermittent light freezing rain. Temperatures were in the mid and upper 20s. The intensity of the freezing rain increased for the evening hours, with temperatures still in the upper 20s. Ice accretions of around a half inch were widespread. The intensity of the freezing rain decreased during the predawn hours of the 28th, while temperature crept up toward the freezing mark. Once the low pressure center lifted northeast through West Virginia during the daylight hours, the storm ended as a quick burst of snow. This added a coating of snow on top of the ice.||Numerous trees fell or sagged onto power lines. Evergreen trees were especially vulnerable. The trees were not only coated with ice, but the rain added weight to the snow that was already on the trees. Many roads were impassable due to downed trees and power lines. Only a few homes sustained damaged from the fallen trees. ||Kentucky Power reported nearly 18 thousand customers without electricity. Many rural areas were without electricity for 3 to 4 days. Shelters were open for those residents without auxilary heat. ||These 4 northeast Kentucky counties were included in the major disaster declaration by the President. See FEMA disaster number 1818 for more details.

Winds gusts of 40 to 60 mph caused wind damage, mostly branches falling on power lines. A building in Ashland had windows blown out.

Snow and sleet accumulated 1 to 2 inches before changing to freezing rain in the afternoon. The ice from freezing rain accumulated a quarter to a half inch during the late afternoon and early evening. Temperatures rose above freezing overnight. Besides treacherous roads, no major power outages were reported.

Ice from freezing rain accumulated 1 to 2 inches on power lines and trees. Fallen trees and branches blocked roads and knocked out electricity and phone service. The worst conditions were in western portions of Carter and Greenup Counties compared to points further east, in Boyd and norther Lawrence Counties. Olive Hill reported an inch of ice on exposed surfaces, with no electricity for 8 days. The power outages forced the state parks at Carter Caves and Greenbo to temporarily close. A South Shore resident of Greenup County reported about 2 inches of solid ice. He said, "It looks like a war zone, all of our trees are just mangled".Governor Patton requested a disaster declaration from President Bush, covering both the severe icing and the flooding across portions of the Commonwealth. The disaster was approved, including the 4 northeast Kentucky counties. See FEMA disaster number 1454 for county assistance.

A strong cold front whipped across northeast Kentucky. A narrow and brief line of showers was associated with the front. Winds gusted into the 45 to 65 mph range. Trees and power lines were blown down.

Wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph occurred as a strong cold front swept through northeast Kentucky. A few trees and power lines were fallen.

Ice accumulated to a thickness of a quarter to a half inch from freezing rain. The ice accumulated more on the cold ground than on power lines and tree branches. The air temperature was around 30 degrees. The liquid rain amounts were mostly .2 to .4 of an inch.