Fern Thumps Breathitt

Winter Storm Fern moved across Breathitt County over the weekend, dropping a mix of snow, sleet, freezing rain, and rain, shutting down businesses and roadways.

According to the National Weather Service Office in Jackson, 2.9 inches of snow fell across the county, but the rain reduced the totals.  Ice accumulations of .21 to .50 inches were reported after a surge of warm air moved the freeze line farther north than anticipated.

Behind the storm front, a blast of arctic air plunged into the mountains, freezing any liquid that remained on the ground, roadways, and vehicles.

Schools, businesses, churches, and offices across the county closed on Saturday and remained closed through Wednesday as state, county, and city road crews worked to clear and salt the streets and roads.  Once the temperatures fell, there was little they could do.

The Storm

Fern rolled into Breathitt County after noon on Saturday, January 24.  The first flakes were noted in Jackson at 1:28 p.m.  The flurries soon increased, and widespread snow fell across the area.

The mid-winter storm at its peak stretched more than 2,000 miles from Mexico to Canada and draped itself along the Appalachian Mountains, impacting more than 30 states.

Kentucky and 22 other states declared emergencies, with about 51% of the country in the storm's path.

Heavy icing occurred across Texas and the South, into Georgia and the Carolinas.

More than fifty deaths have been tied to the winter storm over the past five days.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced that more than 11,600 flights were cancelled.

Local Actions

It was predicted to be a record-setting system, and forecasters gave plenty of warning of its approach.  The Jackson Fire Department called for volunteers to man the station for twenty-four-hour coverage.

The Kentucky Department of Transportation pretreated the roadway, but much of the work was negated by the liquid precipitation.  The road crews were placed on standby, and 10 trucks began plowing operations as soon as snow started to stick to the pavement around 3:00 p.m. on Saturday.

The Jackson branch of the Kentucky National Guard was activated and stationed at the Armory in South Jackson, ready to deploy chainsaw crews to help clear roadways and streets if needed.

The steady snow continued through Saturday night and into the afternoon on Sunday, January 25.

The snow transitioned to sleet and freezing rain.  A period of steady rain fell on the top of the ice and quickly ran off into the streams, causing a three-to four-foot rise of the Kentucky River.

Local Impact

As the cold weather settled into the county, water line breaks continued in the Cherokee Hills area, and sewer issues persisted at the Jackson Village Shopping Center.

Falling limbs and trees caused problems with powerlines on Highway 30 East and West, as well as lines in the southern end of the county.

By Sunday, more than 500 Breathitt County residents were without power.  Crews from Kentucky Power Company and Licking Valley RECC worked to restore power to the community.  By Tuesday morning, there were no reported outages in Breathitt County.

“In all, we faired pretty well,” a local man said as he left Walmart on Tuesday.”  It could have been much worse.”

Walmart announced an early closing on Sunday at 5:00 p.m. due to staffing shortages following the storm.  The store reopened after enough staff made it in on Monday, but closed early for the safety of their team and the public as the roadways refroze.  They resumed regular operation on Tuesday as conditions improved. 

The Aftermath

The bulk of the snow moved out of the county on Sunday afternoon, but the backside of the storm whipped up some “surprise” fluffy accumulation in the county on Monday, January 26, as the lake effect pulled additional moisture into the region.

By Tuesday, the “main roadways” were cleared, and many businesses opened to serve the public.  Side roads and driveways remained frozen as the temperature across the state dropped to single digits overnight, with wind chills below zero.

Local officials turned their attention to the bitterly cold temperatures that are predicted through February 1, as daytime highs are not expected to break the freezing mark.  Several area residents have taken advantage of the warming centers established at the local fire departments and at the Courthouse.

The Breathitt County Emergency Management and local officials are continuing to monitor the situation as the county and much of the country work to dig out from winter’s latest offering.