Kentucky governor declares a state of emergency

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency Wednesday, warning residents of his state to prepare for dangerous conditions.

“This is going to be really dangerous. This is really, really cold. You need to stay inside and hunker down, hopefully with your family, for the Christmas holiday from Thursday definitely through Saturday,” he said at a news briefing.

Wind gusts are likely to reach 40-50 mph, Beshear said, adding that a major concern is the possibility of a flash freeze as temperatures drop quickly Thursday night. He recommended that anyone traveling for the holidays plan to arrive at their destination by midday Thursday.

“After tornadoes and floods, pandemics, multiple ice storms, just these last three years, I don’t want to lose one person to this arctic front that is coming through,” he said.

In preparation for the severe weather, each county in Kentucky is opening at least one warming center, Beshear said, and the state’s National Guard is ready to assist.

The declaration came one day after North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper issued an emergency order for his state ahead of the storm.