FRANKFORT, Ky. (Jan. 22, 2016) - In response to the winter storm affecting most of the Commonwealth, Governor Matt Bevin today declared a statewide emergency effective at 1:30 pm, January 22, 2016 to provide local officials immediate access to state resources for public safety and assistance.
"My primary concern is safety. By declaring a state emergency we are giving emergency management the options they need to proactively respond to local needs. I thank all of the officials working hard to keep people safe and commerce flowing," said Governor Matt Bevin. "We urge all citizens to remain at home and stay off of the roads allowing emergency services the opportunity to keep the roadways safe."
Kentucky Emergency Management's Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and Joint Information Center (JIC) remain active to monitor the winter storm and coordinate the response.
"The Commonwealth has come through the worst part of the snowfall event. The storm front should move out of the area by 7 pm EST. We've encountered sporadic power outages, but more specifically calls regarding slow moving traffic on interstates," said Michael Dossett, Director of Kentucky Emergency Management.
"It is imperative that we allow our first responders the ability to provide timely services throughout the state. In that light, we are asking that our citizens refrain from travel on the interstate system for the remainder of this storm period," continued Dossett. "By virtue of the executive order for a state of emergency, allied state agencies are now able to leverage resources that are beyond local government capabilities."
All media inquiries regarding the state response should be directed to (502)-607-6666. All public inquiries regarding the state response should be directed to (502) 607-6665. State officials are also monitoring social media and will use #kywx to distribute updates.
