Kentucky State of Emergency Declared, Price Gouging Laws Activated

It was just a matter of time until Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency in the Commonwealth. Over here in the tri-state, we're expecting upwards of a foot of snow, if not more, along the Ohio River and points immediately north and south.

Winter Storm

I was going to call this the Ohio Valley's first big storm of the winter season, but this beast is so widespread, everyone can claim it, whether they'd like to or not. If you expand the map in this post, you'll see what I mean. Warnings and watches for this thing stretch from Arizona all the way up to Maine.

And the regions north of the colored area will be dealing with intensely bitter cold. Winter can have a bad temper, as we all know, but this seems like it will be one of those storms we'll still be talking about in a decade. That's the kind of activity that leads to declarations like the governor's.

What Does a State of Emergency Mean?

With a state of emergency, agencies like the Kentucky National Guard and Kentucky Emergency Management are activated and at the ready to provide assistance to communities during severe weather events like this weekend's storm. Early Saturday morning, a Level 3 State of Emergency will go into effect, meaning the Emergency Operations Center will coordinate resources like the two mentioned above.

This state of emergency also means roadways will be restricted to emergency personnel and any essential travel like, for example, going to work, obtaining food, or seeking medical supplies or treatment.

Price-Gouging Law

The pertinent portion of the price-gouging statute, activated in situations like this, reads as follows...

No person shall sell, rent, or offer to sell or rent, regardless of whether an
actual sale or rental occurs, a good or service listed in this paragraph or any
repair or reconstruction service for a price which is grossly in excess of the
price prior to the declaration and unrelated to any increased cost to the seller.
Goods and services to which this section applies are:
1. Consumer food items;
2. Goods or services used for emergency cleanup;
3. Emergency supplies;
4. Medical supplies;
5. Home heating oil;
6. Building materials;
7. Housing;
8. Transportation, freight, and storage services;
9. Gasoline or other motor fuels; and
10. Direct care staff services provided by a health care services agency as
defined in KRS 216.718.

By the way, this is KRS 216.718.

Based on social media posts I've seen, most people who don't have to work have already stocked up and are planning on hibernating during this event. I'm one of them, and I'll see you after the thaw.