Statement from Governor Beshear on the One-year Anniversary of the Ice Storm

Statement

One year ago today, our citizens endured the worst natural disaster in our state's modern history -- a devastating ice storm that toppled trees, damaged property and left hundreds of thousands of families without power in the coldest days of the winter. The needs were great. Families needed more than just food and shelter; they needed the reassurance that things would eventually be all right.

In my travels around the state in those terribly cold days that followed, I was heartened and proud of the way Kentuckians responded. Strangers opened their homes to neighbors in need. Students checked on the elderly. Churches and community centers served up hot meals to all comers, and emergency responders and utility workers toiled around the clock to restore much-needed power.

We lost 36 Kentuckians as a result of the ice storm. Without the steady work of state and local emergency workers and volunteers, the number undoubtedly would have been higher. We owe them our thanks for their tireless efforts.

In the midst of tremendous hardship, our true character as Kentuckians was revealed. On this anniversary of a terrible disaster, I commend our citizens for their resiliency and spirit.

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