With the incoming snow and cold temperatures, the possibility of power outages is a concern this weekend.
“If you get about a quarter inch of ice, that will start to bring down limbs on the wires,” Duke Energy’s Community and Government Relations Rep. Ken Muth told Kenton County mayors Saturday morning. “Half inch – up to a half inch and more – you can actually start to bring wires and poles.”
Much of the ice and sleet predicted for this weekend will likely occur south of Northern Kentucky, according to the National Weather Service. Still, there’s a risk people could lose power. So, how should you prepare?
Lt. Darrell Bullock with the Cincinnati Fire Department told LINK nky’s content partner WCPO that you can light candles for warmth and light, but he said you should keep an eye on them and blow them out if you leave the room for a prolonged period.
“You can buy a generator, but make sure that you know you’re not supposed to put it inside the garage or inside the house anywhere,” Bullock said.
Bullock said under no circumstances should people turn on their stove or oven for warmth. He said that it can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.
“That’s a big no-no,” Bullock said. “We’re not going to do that. I can’t tell you how many runs I’ve made over the years with people using their stove as a heating source to heat the house. I understand that it’s cold outside, but trust me, it’s very dangerous.”
Some other ways to stay warm without power include blankets, handwarmers, feetwarmers, extra socks, extra pants and extra sweatshirts.
Bullock said if you still have power, it’s okay to use a space heater, but he said to make sure nothing is within 3 feet of it.
Bullock told us he recommends being prepared for anything.
“You should have an escape route, a fire safety plan, in case something happens,” Bullock said.
WCPO also spoke to Duke Energy spokesperson Matt Martin about how they’re preparing for the possibility of power outages.
“Make sure that they have their phone fully charged, have full bottles of water and batteries in case they do experience an outage,” Martin said.
Martin said if you’re looking to save energy, some good practices include lowering your thermostat to the most comfortable setting and keeping your blinds open to allow sunlight in.
“We are staging our crews around the area across Ohio and Kentucky to make sure that we can quickly respond to outages when they occur, when it’s safe to do so,” Martin said.
Martin said to stay prepared and have plans in place in case an outage lasts longer than expected.
“Just know that we will be out responding, getting power back on if an outage occurs as soon as we can,” Martin said.
You can check out outage maps from Duke Energy, Owen Electric Cooperative and Kentucky Utilities Company below. You can also check out some tips for preventing and thawing frozen pipes here.
Alex Null of WCPO contributed reporting to this story.