September 27, 2024 • 7 mins
Kentucky's rural communites face a dauting challenge in high wind events like Hurricane Helene. Joining Tony from Kentucky Electric Cooperatives is Joe Arnold with a look at our rual communities.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning. I'm Tony Cruz along with Joe Arnold, the
vice president of strategic Communications for the Kentucky Electric Cooperatives
and Kentucky Living magazine by the way as well. Hey Joe,
what do you know.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Tony, Well, we know a lot of high winds are
coming in and we're obviously looking out for those. Thanks
for keeping Kentucky uninformed.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
We appreciate it, and I know you did that for
a long long time for a lot of people back
in your days with us on the WHS radio and
Channel eleven. Of course, let's talk a little bit just
the protocols for your personnel today. I mean, I'm sure
that you all have spent several days, if not more,
preparing for this day in Kentucky.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
That's right. Well, we have at the Statewide Association of
co Ops, that's where I am. We represent twenty six
electric cooperatives all across the commonwealth. But we coordinate the
mutual aid deployment for any of those co ops who
assess their own staffing and if they can deploy, if
(01:07):
they can, after they make sure that they have ample
resources available to take care of their own local area.
If they can help other areas, they will, and so
we coordinate them in really several briefings per day with
other statewide associations of co ops throughout the southeast right
now with what is needed and then what we're kind
(01:29):
of matchmaking service, and so the co ops that are
in the affected areas by the hurricane, they especially affected areas,
we match them up with our local co ops who
can have crews going down. So right now we have
about between thirty and forty personnel who are already either
on the way or have been assigned to co ops
in Georgia that know they need to help. And it's
(01:51):
possible that after the storm comes through here the next today,
especially in tomorrow, at the co ops, after they assess
that they have enough crews available here will even more
might be heading down in the affected areas. And right
now it looks like most of our crews are heading
to the Georgia area, which, as you know and we
heard on the reporting just now, is just seeing a
(02:13):
massive amount of brain and some flooding there as well.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Indeed, and to that point, I just saw that they
have winds of seventy mile per hours maximum sustained winds
of seventy miles per hour there in Georgia. What kind
of stress does that put on these electric poles, and
in particular how it could impact us today in Kentucky
with a gust of fifty to sixty miles per hour winds,
(02:38):
what does that do to the infrastructure the polls.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
So the infrastructure itself was pretty much engineered to be
able to take that. What they can't take necessarily, though,
are the trees that come down on top of them.
You know. Frankly, even thirty mile per hour winds can
bring down limbs and such, and that can cause shorts
on electric lines. Limbs and parts or trees come down
all those lines. Once you get to the fifty or
(03:03):
sixty mile per hour range, and especially if the ground
becomes saturated, that's when whole trees can then fly into
and or fall onto power lines. If the whole tree
falls down on power lines, that's likely going to snap
the poles as well in that situation. And so that's
the situation where you have more of a long power
restoration because imagine reconstructing an electric system at that point,
(03:26):
you know, and they have to do that over the
course of maybe miles and miles depending upon where that's
going on. So you just and that's frankly just a
reminder of why co ops and other utilities do right
of way work. Sometimes. I remember when I was growing up,
I was upset about the power crew that came through
my backyard and as like, what why are they cutting
back our tree? That's a good tree, you know, but
(03:48):
if it's near an electric line, you want to make
sure you have enough distance there so it doesn't fall
on the lines when those big winds come through.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
So if people need to get a hold of their
own Kentucky Electric cooperative, what can they do? And does
the cooperative at large have some kind of app for phones?
Speaker 2 (04:10):
So each individual cooperative has their own system. Most every
cooperative has a smart hub or some other app, and
most customers are consumers. The members of those co ops
certainly can go to their own co ops web page,
and most of them, whether through Kentucky Living or through
their own co ops communications with them. They already know that,
(04:32):
I hope they do. But if you don't know if
you're a member of an electric cooperative, whether it's for instance,
in your listing area, which is vast Salt River Electric
for instance, just to our styleth Shelby Energy Nolan R.
Ecc Mead County, our sec. I'm leaving them out obviously
throughout your vast area. Each of them has their own
We just encourage them to be able to do that.
And I will remind you Tony, that's a great thing
(04:55):
you brought up. Don't assume that your local co oper,
local utility knows about your power outage. Some ologies are
very local, so we do encourage folks to reach out
and let us know if your power goes out. Most importantly,
if you have lined a downed line, please please please
stay away many down lines. Report them both to your utility,
(05:17):
your co op as well as to you know, nine
one one, and assume that they are live and dangerous
and stay away from them because that's often that The
aftermath of the storm is awesome when we see the
most injuries.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Hey, Joe Quick and you and I have talked about
this on Kentucky Focus before. How big is it of
a challenge is it for the Kentucky electrical cooperatives in
so many rural places with so much brush and so
many trees. How big of a challenge is that this
time of year when you have events like.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
This, Well, the co ops serve, as you point out,
Scott the most you know, certainly in many many metropolitan
areas or many areas that were population is But at
the same time, the nature of the co ops is
we reach every last mile others of how tough it
is to serve, and that means you have long stretches
of of of of of lines that are going through
(06:07):
some of the most rugged territory. In fact, right now,
if you're looking at the forecast coming up, some of
the highest winds and rain that are coming in today
are in eastern Kentucky. A lot of forest land there,
a lot of the i's, the thick of the hollers
and the and the mountains, and and we have lines
to go all through there. So that's where the complication
(06:29):
and may some of the longer restoration times come in,
because not only are you are you facing the down lines,
but you're facing a lot of rugged territory or perhaps
flooding to get to those places. So I'm glad you
asked in.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Particular, Joe, we so appreciate you and take care of yourself.
Joe Arnold, vice president of Strategic Communications Kentucky Electric Cooperative
and also Kentucky a living magazine works there as well,
Thanks so much, Joe, great out. Thanks all right, we'll
get to a break when we come back. Dwight Mitchell
from the l MPD. They've got some things going on
as well, but talk to a Dwight Commarcis
Good morning. I'm Tony Cruz along with Joe Arnold, the
vice president of strategic Communications for the Kentucky Electric Cooperatives
and Kentucky Living magazine by the way as well. Hey Joe,
what do you know.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Tony, Well, we know a lot of high winds are
coming in and we're obviously looking out for those. Thanks
for keeping Kentucky uninformed.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
We appreciate it, and I know you did that for
a long long time for a lot of people back
in your days with us on the WHS radio and
Channel eleven. Of course, let's talk a little bit just
the protocols for your personnel today. I mean, I'm sure
that you all have spent several days, if not more,
preparing for this day in Kentucky.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
That's right. Well, we have at the Statewide Association of
co Ops, that's where I am. We represent twenty six
electric cooperatives all across the commonwealth. But we coordinate the
mutual aid deployment for any of those co ops who
assess their own staffing and if they can deploy, if
(01:07):
they can, after they make sure that they have ample
resources available to take care of their own local area.
If they can help other areas, they will, and so
we coordinate them in really several briefings per day with
other statewide associations of co ops throughout the southeast right
now with what is needed and then what we're kind
(01:29):
of matchmaking service, and so the co ops that are
in the affected areas by the hurricane, they especially affected areas,
we match them up with our local co ops who
can have crews going down. So right now we have
about between thirty and forty personnel who are already either
on the way or have been assigned to co ops
in Georgia that know they need to help. And it's
(01:51):
possible that after the storm comes through here the next today,
especially in tomorrow, at the co ops, after they assess
that they have enough crews available here will even more
might be heading down in the affected areas. And right
now it looks like most of our crews are heading
to the Georgia area, which, as you know and we
heard on the reporting just now, is just seeing a
(02:13):
massive amount of brain and some flooding there as well.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Indeed, and to that point, I just saw that they
have winds of seventy mile per hours maximum sustained winds
of seventy miles per hour there in Georgia. What kind
of stress does that put on these electric poles, and
in particular how it could impact us today in Kentucky
with a gust of fifty to sixty miles per hour winds,
(02:38):
what does that do to the infrastructure the polls.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
So the infrastructure itself was pretty much engineered to be
able to take that. What they can't take necessarily, though,
are the trees that come down on top of them.
You know. Frankly, even thirty mile per hour winds can
bring down limbs and such, and that can cause shorts
on electric lines. Limbs and parts or trees come down
all those lines. Once you get to the fifty or
(03:03):
sixty mile per hour range, and especially if the ground
becomes saturated, that's when whole trees can then fly into
and or fall onto power lines. If the whole tree
falls down on power lines, that's likely going to snap
the poles as well in that situation. And so that's
the situation where you have more of a long power
restoration because imagine reconstructing an electric system at that point,
(03:26):
you know, and they have to do that over the
course of maybe miles and miles depending upon where that's
going on. So you just and that's frankly just a
reminder of why co ops and other utilities do right
of way work. Sometimes. I remember when I was growing up,
I was upset about the power crew that came through
my backyard and as like, what why are they cutting
back our tree? That's a good tree, you know, but
(03:48):
if it's near an electric line, you want to make
sure you have enough distance there so it doesn't fall
on the lines when those big winds come through.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
So if people need to get a hold of their
own Kentucky Electric cooperative, what can they do? And does
the cooperative at large have some kind of app for phones?
Speaker 2 (04:10):
So each individual cooperative has their own system. Most every
cooperative has a smart hub or some other app, and
most customers are consumers. The members of those co ops
certainly can go to their own co ops web page,
and most of them, whether through Kentucky Living or through
their own co ops communications with them. They already know that,
(04:32):
I hope they do. But if you don't know if
you're a member of an electric cooperative, whether it's for instance,
in your listing area, which is vast Salt River Electric
for instance, just to our styleth Shelby Energy Nolan R.
Ecc Mead County, our sec. I'm leaving them out obviously
throughout your vast area. Each of them has their own
We just encourage them to be able to do that.
And I will remind you Tony, that's a great thing
(04:55):
you brought up. Don't assume that your local co oper,
local utility knows about your power outage. Some ologies are
very local, so we do encourage folks to reach out
and let us know if your power goes out. Most importantly,
if you have lined a downed line, please please please
stay away many down lines. Report them both to your utility,
(05:17):
your co op as well as to you know, nine
one one, and assume that they are live and dangerous
and stay away from them because that's often that The
aftermath of the storm is awesome when we see the
most injuries.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Hey, Joe Quick and you and I have talked about
this on Kentucky Focus before. How big is it of
a challenge is it for the Kentucky electrical cooperatives in
so many rural places with so much brush and so
many trees. How big of a challenge is that this
time of year when you have events like.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
This, Well, the co ops serve, as you point out,
Scott the most you know, certainly in many many metropolitan
areas or many areas that were population is But at
the same time, the nature of the co ops is
we reach every last mile others of how tough it
is to serve, and that means you have long stretches
of of of of of lines that are going through
(06:07):
some of the most rugged territory. In fact, right now,
if you're looking at the forecast coming up, some of
the highest winds and rain that are coming in today
are in eastern Kentucky. A lot of forest land there,
a lot of the i's, the thick of the hollers
and the and the mountains, and and we have lines
to go all through there. So that's where the complication
(06:29):
and may some of the longer restoration times come in,
because not only are you are you facing the down lines,
but you're facing a lot of rugged territory or perhaps
flooding to get to those places. So I'm glad you
asked in.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Particular, Joe, we so appreciate you and take care of yourself.
Joe Arnold, vice president of Strategic Communications Kentucky Electric Cooperative
and also Kentucky a living magazine works there as well,
Thanks so much, Joe, great out. Thanks all right, we'll
get to a break when we come back. Dwight Mitchell
from the l MPD. They've got some things going on
as well, but talk to a Dwight Commarcis
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