City and County public works departments, along with state road crews, have been treating the roads in preparation for potentially hazardous winter weather this weekend. Owensboro Municipal Utilities, Kenery, and Atmos have crews ready for possible power outages. Here’s what to know about which roads will be treated and how to stay updated on outages locally.
ICE/SNOW ROUTES
City roads
Crews have been pre-treating Priority 1 and 2 snow routes, which are highlighted in the map below. Street Manager Andrew Osborne said they have 2,500 tons of salt and make a brine in-house. He said they have six trucks ready to keep City roads clear.
According to the City’s website, they prioritize approximately 130 miles of primary streets, focusing on routes leading to critical facilities such as hospitals, police and fire stations, and major employers. During heavy snow, all city streets may be cleared.
County roads
Daviess County Public Works has had three brine trucks prepping the roads, with approximately 500 miles set to be pre-treated by Saturday afternoon. The department has roughly 300 tons of salt on hand at the highway garage. A total of 12 trucks will be running this weekend, with eight plowing rural sections of the county starting on Sunday. Two trucks will specifically target subdivisions.
State roads
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet began pretreating roads with a salt brine solution on Wednesday. Crews will focus on Priority A routes, including interstates, parkways, and major highways, before moving to lower-priority routes.
UTILITIES/POWER OUTAGES
Owensboro Municipal Utilities
An online map shows the areas affected by outages and provides updates in real-time. Access OMU’s map here.
Registering for OMU’s free, interactive texting option enables customers to report outages via text and receive updates via their mobile phones. Sign up here. During large-scale outages, phone lines may be overwhelmed. Be patient and watch for updates on the OMU Facebook.
Kenergy
An online map shows the areas affected by outages and provides updates in real-time. Access Kenergy’s outage map here.
Sign up for text alerts by texting the word “Kenergy’ to 85700. Your current mobile number must be associated with your account for the alerts to work properly. If we don’t have that number on file, call 800-844-4832 to update your account information.
Atmos Energy
To sign up for text alerts, adjust your notification preferences in the Atmos Account Center. Follow Atmos on Facebook, X, Instagram, and atmosenergy.com for continued safety and weather preparedness information.
Although natural gas outages are infrequent, if you experience loss of natural gas service or low gas pressure, or have other concerns, contact the Atmos Energy emergency line at 866-322-8667. Agents are ready to assist 24/7.
