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Beshear Urges Caution, Patience in Wake of Storm

Beshear Urges Caution, Patience in Wake of Storm
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By West Kentucky Star Staff
Mar. 05, 2015 | FRANKFORT, KY
By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 05, 2015 | 04:50 PM | FRANKFORT, KY
After declaring a state of emergency for the Commonwealth earlier today, Gov. Steve Beshear met with state emergency management officials and the Kentucky National Guard Thursday afternoon in Frankfort as part of his monitoring of the recent winter storm.  

As temperatures rise in the coming days, the Governor cautions Kentuckians about the possibility of flooding and high water in parts of the state.

The National Weather Service has estimated snowfall amounts from the storm at 8-24 inches. The northern portion of the state had snow accumulation estimated at 8-12 inches, with many counties throughout the western, central and northeast parts of the state seeing accumulations at 12-24 inches.

According to emergency management officials, heavy snow impacted all the interstates, state highways and county roads across the Commonwealth. Interstates 24 and 65 and the Western Kentucky Parkway had numerous wrecks. Drivers are being evacuated by county emergency personnel, law enforcement and the Kentucky National Guard, and taken to local shelters.

“We are continuing to direct our road crews, emergency management officials and the National Guard to manage the impact of this second winter storm in as many weeks that hit the Bluegrass yesterday,” Gov. Beshear said. “This storm has mainly been a traffic-related event, impacting roads and bridges all across the Commonwealth. As the weather front moves out of Kentucky, we ask that Kentuckians remain cautious and patient as our work continues into the night when temperatures are expected to drop.”

The statewide emergency declaration issued today by the Governor allows local officials immediate access to state resources to assist in public safety and recovery efforts. A separate emergency order will alleviate certain trucking restrictions so that vehicles carrying emergency supplies may travel through the state more quickly.

According to emergency management officials, a total of 46 counties and 20 cities have declared states of emergency due to the recent storms. Nearly 7,000 households are without power, mainly in the northeast portion of the state. 
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