Approximately 8,000 city residents were without power early Saturday morning after storms swept through Western Kentucky, according to reports from Hopkinsville Electric System. The utility serves approximately 13,000 customers.
HES also reported that the storm caused damage to multiple poles and electric lines.
“We do not have an ETA on restoring service but all our crews as well as contractors are working to restore power,” officials said Saturday morning in a Facebook post.
Problems can be reported to HES by calling (270) 887-4216.
Pennyrile Electric, which serves rural homes in Christian, Logan and Todd counties, did not experience widespread outages. As of 7:30 a.m. Saturday, approximately 40 customers in the area of Gospel Peace Road had reported service interuptions. Pennyrile Electric customers can call (270) 886-2555 or 1-800-297-4710 to report an issue.
Several downtown buildings sustained damage in the storms, which hit Hopkinsville at approximately 11 p.m. Friday. The Mixer restaurant on Sixth Street, where the third floor has completely collapsed, appears to have had the most severe damage in downtown Hopkinsville. The two employees who were inside at the time were unharmed, according to the Hopkinsville Fire Department.
With multiple trees downed along powerlines, the department encouraged residents who didn’t have to be out to stay home as various city departments responded to calls for service.
Julia Hunter is the engagement editor for Hoptown Chronicle. Reach her at julia@hoptownchronicle.org.
