Aug. 29--More than 7,000 Richmond residents and businesses were affected by an hour-long power outage Wednesday night that affected the downtown area and businesses along Interstate 75 at Exit 90.

Power was restored in stages, said Cliff Feltham, a spokesperson for Kentucky Utilities.

A fault in a lightening rod was the reason for the outage that occurred at 9:40 p.m.

"We were able to get everybody back on (power) by 10:50 p.m.," Feltham said.

A device called a "lightening arrester" failed to work. This device is to keep a lightening rod from being damaged during a lightening storm, he said.

"We have some of those that go bad occasionally, and one went bad last night," Feltham said.

The power outage caused the most inconvenience along the Exit 90 intersection because of all the commerce in that particular area, he said. "Otherwise, it was a time of night when there wasn't a whole lot going on."

Main Street resident John Ryan Sparks said he and his wife used the darkness to spark a little romance.

"Noni, my wife, and I lit candles and flashlights, then went down on Main Street," Sparks said. "We found a few of the streetlights still working, but the courthouse block all the way to the northeast horizon was pitch black."

If a power outage occurs, it can take anywhere from a few minutes to several days to restore electricity.

One of the largest concerns for those sustaining a power outage is the safety of their food, according to Madison County Extension Agent Gina Noe. She offers several tips to help save food in the freezer and refrigerator during a power outage.

Keep an appliance thermometer in both the freezer and refrigerator. It will indicate the temperature in case of a power outage and help determine the safety of the food, she said.

The freezer should be set at 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below and the refrigerator at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below.

Containers of ice or frozen gel packs can help fill empty space in the freezer, which is going to help lock in the cool temperatures for a longer period of time.

The ice and gel packs also can be used in the refrigerator, she said.

If unopened, the refrigerator will keep food safe for about four hours. A full freezer will hold the temperature for 48 hours, less if it is not full.

If a power outage is going to last more than a few hours, all leftovers or other things that are not needed immediately should be placed in the freezer. This will keep them at a safe temperature for a longer period of time.

Grouping food in both the freezer and refrigerator also will help in sustaining freshness during a lengthy power outage.

Several measures can be taken to lessen the impact of temporary power outages on businesses and residences, according to information from KU.

Some tips include: Buy electronic equipment that comes with a battery back-up, periodically save or back up personal computer data to a disk to prevent loss of information and invest in an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS).

During a momentary power outage, the UPS will continue to provide power to your personal computer for a period of time. (A UPS is not designed to operate your computer indefinitely -- only long enough for you to save your work and shut down the computer properly.)

The Residential Service Call Center (1-800-981-0600) is available to all KU customers and is the number to call to report outages. Reports can be made to the call center 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 623-1669, Ext. 234.

-----

To see more of the Richmond Register or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.richmondregister.com.

Copyright (c) 2008, Richmond Register, Ky.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

NYSE:EON,