Story - The Meade County Messenger


Vol. 117, No. 06	February 11, 2009

Ice storm 2009:
The aftermath

Electricity
Meade County RECC vice president Tim Gossett reassured citizens last week, that all repair calls turned in after hours and while employees are away, are monitored and sent to the appropriate department.

He admitted employees don’t respond to every phone call, but they do write down the names and addresses and submit it to the operations area, where their concerns are added.

“We don’t really have a method yet to verify back (that we received it),” Gossett said, “but they are filtered to the proper department.”

Gossett also confirmed local police officers were stationed at the firm’s Bypass office. The officers are there to provide a calming effect for citizens.

“We understand when people first come in here they are frustrated,” Gossett said. Since the placement, there have been no incidents.

Fort Knox
A few tree limbs fell, but they have now been reduced to piles alongside the fort’s access roads, spokesperson Ryan Brus said.

During the height of last week’s storm, the fort did sustain some power outages, resulting in the opening of a shelter for residents there. He also said fort personnel, working with crews from LG&E were able to get their water plant operational and eventually able to supply water to Hardin County to meet their demands.

Otter Creek Park
Trees and limbs were scattered throughout park roads, which were extremely icy during a visit with park official Jack West last week.

Louisville Metro Parks spokesperson Jason Cissell said the cost of removing the trees and limbs from the roads, in part to allow electric crews through to repair downed lines, will be paid by utility officials, not Metro Parks.

Photo by Larry See Jr.
This row of trees along the main park road in Otter Creek Park was virtually unscathed by the ice storm recently. Most of the park survived Mother Nature’s fury. Right, even the picnic tables survived winter’s fury.

He said there have been no rental events since the park closed earlier this year, but officials have a few on the books for spring.

“We remain committed to accommodating those existing events in the conference center through June 30,” Cissell noted, “if folks ask us to do so.”

YMCA Camp Piomingo director Steve Merifield stressed the camp, situated within the park, survived with only power and telephone outages.

“We very much want people to know it will be ‘business as usual’ at the camp,” Cissell said.

In related matters, Metro Parks staff are in the process of drafting a request for proposals for a potential third-party vendor to operate the facility.

Cissell said there wasn’t a final draft yet, adding they lost a few days due to the loss of power, and they hope to have it issued by late February.

“That self-imposed deadline has not changed because of the storm,” he said. “We hope to have an operator assuming responsibility for the park as soon as possible.”

In the interim, Cissell said, if that doesn’t happen by June 30, efforts to protect the park (through a coverage arrangement between the Muldraugh City Police Department and the volunteer efforts of Constable Henry Bailey) have proven successful, Metro Parks officials may elect to continue providing that service, for which they pay Muldraugh $5,000.

Cissell, overall, commented the Metro Parks emerged safe considering the number of limbs that fell.

Emergency Management
County Emergency Management director Ron Dodson estimated, as of late last week, local officials have spent over $100,000 in expenses relating to the ice storm.

Most of these have to do with clean-up and debris disposal, he said, adding the figure is worse than last year’s tornado or Hurricane Ike storm.

Dodson said the last shelters closed Feb. 1.

“As it turns out I have discovered some places opened shelters and never notified me they did,” Dodson said. “Brandenburg Mayor David Pace and county Judge Executive Harry Craycroft worked on getting the National Guard Armory opened Feb. 3, though no one came. We asked through the local radio stations Feb. 4 if anyone needed shelter to call, and no one did, so we closed it.”

Dodson said county officials have project worksheets out on the Ike operation, but the tornado operation is pretty much nearing closeout.

“This disaster is different from the tornado,” he said, in response to a question whether residents might see a disaster trailer locally.

“I am uncertain what we will or will not see on this one for the individuals and families. This is unprecedented and we may or may not see extraordinary actions from the Federal Emergency Management Agency,” he said.

Dodson has never seen the rumors which generated from the event.

“Free generators, 50percent reimbursed generators, FEMA credit cards, you name it,” he said. “Run up your credit cards and FEMA will pay for it. These are all just rumors.”

He encouraged those who hear such rumors to call his office at (270) 422-2776 and have him check it out. Another rumor making the rounds

Click Here to Go Back