After the wind and the rain blows through the region, cold temperatures will descend upon the region and officials are urging people to be safe while they try and stay warm during the cold spell.
Area temperatures will fall into the single digits, and along with the wind chills, many places will fall well below zero, meaning people will be looking for ways to stay warm. Hopkinsville Fire and EMS Lt. Payton Rogers says to make sure you’re not using heaters meant for out of the home inside, and a good safety measure would be to have a carbon monoxide detector in place.
If you do use a space heater, make sure you’re using it appropriately by plugging it directly into a wall and not a power strip, and keep it well away from flammable objects.
He strongly advises against using any type of cooking device or implement to generate heat in your home, as that greatly increases the risk of a house fire.
Energy demand will likely be very high as people try and combat the cold, and Tennessee Valley Authority Spokesperson Adam May says people can help out by lowering the temperature in their homes to 68 degrees and making sure their windows are air-tight. He says the TVA has invested millions of dollars into making sure they can meet demand, by updating infrastructure and reliability at their facilities.
May says they’re ready as ready as they can be to meet whatever Mother Nature may throw at them.
Residents are also reminded to remember their pets—if you can, bring them indoors during freezing temperatures, and if you can’t, make sure they adequate, warm shelter where they can get away from the wind and with plenty of bedding. Make sure to have food and fresh, unfrozen water on hand, to help them combat the cold.