Hurricane Helene left thousands without power in Kentucky. How long until it’s back on?

Though the strong winds had passed, Hurricane Helene was still being felt in Kentucky Saturday, as thousands of people were without power.

Kentucky Utilities hopes to have electricity restored to most of its customers by 11 p.m. Tuesday “at the latest,” spokesman Daniel Lowry said at noon Saturday.

Many people will have power restored sooner, while a few may go longer without it, he said.

Just under 80,000 customers remained without electricity in Kentucky as of just before 6 p.m. Saturday, according to Poweroutage.us. Fayette County had more than 18,000 without power.

“Fayette County was hit pretty hard,” Lowry said.

He said LG&E and KU had more than 1,300 wires down statewide after the hurricane brought wind gusts of 60 mph or more to the Bluegrass Friday, toppling trees and blowing limbs into power lines. More than 250 were down in Fayette County, city government said in a news release.

Lowry said the company had about 530 of its own line workers out working to restore power Saturday, and about 400 more workers who were coming in through mutual assistance partnerships were expected to arrive Saturday.

“Help is on the way,” he said.

Lowry said no KU or LG&E workers have been sent outside the state, but if help is still needed after power is restored here, the company may send line workers to southern states that were harder hit.

“Power outages continue to be our biggest challenge, and power companies are planning for a multiple day response,” Gov. Andy Beshear said in a tweet on the social media platform X Saturday. “Those seeking alternative shelter to power medical devices should contact their local emergency manager.”

Beshear said Kentucky had no deaths reported as a result of the storm.

More rain coming

While Beshear said there were some reports of minor flooding in low-lying parts of Western Kentucky, the state escaped serious floods because of the dry conditions leading up to the storm, said Mark Jarvis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Louisville.

Rainfall in Lexington measured about 3 and a half inches over the past 48 hours, Jarvis said just after 11 a.m. Saturday.

“Since we were so dry previously before this system came in, much of this went into the ground,” he said.

Jarvis said some areas around Elizabethtown and Bardstown had gotten 4 and a half to 5 inches of rain, while Benton in Western Kentucky had received 5.37 inches.

Friday’s rainfall broke a record for Sept. 27 in Lexington, with 2.29 inches measured at Blue Grass Airport. The previous record set in 1964 was 1.61 inches.

“We still have the system spinning over us today,” Jarvis said.

The next few days will be breezy and cloudy with scattered showers. Jarvis said the area can expect another half inch to three-quarters of an inch of rain Saturday, with more coming Sunday, “but not all that much.”

“We’re not expecting any kind of flooding problems,” Jarvis said. “We basically just took out the drought.”

The winds were the primary force of destruction Friday, with the highest gust in Central Kentucky clocked at Blue Grass Airport at 65 mph, Jarvis said.

Storm cleanup begins

By Saturday afternoon, Lexington’s police and fire departments had responded to more than 250 storm-related calls, including several weather-related collisions and two reports of people injured by falls and flying debris.

The city’s Streets and Roads Department had received 194 calls about downed trees and limbs, the city said in a news release. The cleanup began Friday and was expected to continue through Sunday.

People who have city waste collection services can stack storm debris between the curb and sidewalk, and it will be picked up with regular weekly trash pickup “as long as it is cut in 4-foot sections,” the news release stated. People who don’t have sidewalks should put the debris at the edge of their yards, near the curb.

People with storm debris in Fayette County can drop it off for free at the Haley Pike landfill at 4216 Hedger Lane beginning Monday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The city said it will require a driver’s license or proof of Fayette County residency.

Beshear said people who have experienced property damage should contact their local emergency management agencies.

In Lexington, the city set up an online survey form for storm damage reports.

People who need help with home medical-related requests were advised to call the Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767.

For help with food or human services needs in Lexington, the city said people can call 211 to reach the United Way of the Bluegrass 24 hours a day.

The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department urged people without power to use caution with food to make sure they do not contract any food-borne illnesses.

Several boil water advisories had been issued, Beshear said Saturday morning. He said people should check with their local utilities for more information.

The city of Lexington said many city parks were still without power Saturday, and some had sustained storm damage.

“All city golf courses are closed because of flooding and tree debris. Raven Run is closed because of multiple downed trees. Portions of the McConnell Springs trails are closed because of downed trees,” the city’s news release stated. “Dunbar Community Center is without power, and all programs are canceled.”

Some Kentucky state parks also were experiencing power outages and road closures, so park-goers should check before visiting, the governor said.

In Lexington, the wind caused waste pickup to be suspended Friday. The city said some of those addresses were serviced Saturday, and the rest will receive pickup Monday.