SITUATION
More than 1,700 AEP Ohio line, support, forestry and contractor crews continue to make repairs to damaged electrical equipment in a challenging working environment mainly in eastern and southern Ohio. Despite the weather and travel conditions, progress has been made. At 10 a.m., 22,000 AEP Ohio customers are currently without power. At the height of the storm, more than 53,000 customers were affected by the winter storm that crossed the state.
RESTORATION EFFORTS
Crews from Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and Virginia are assisting in restoration efforts. Of the damaged areas currently assessed, more than 120 broken poles and 1,700 downed spans of wire need to be replaced, mainly due to ice-covered equipment and trees. In some areas, assessment teams continue to determine how many crews and what materials are needed at each site to get the work done. Much of the damage is in difficult to reach areas so drones and helicopters are in use. Read here for more about the assessment process.
Essential services such as hospitals, fire and police stations, and water treatment plants are the first priority. Crews then work to restore service to the largest number of customers as quickly and safely as possible. Next, crews will move to other clusters of homes and businesses needing to be restored. Any individual homes still without power will also be restored, completing restoration to the area.
RESTORATION TIMES
Estimated restoration times have been established for all areas affected by the storm and are as follows:
- Athens, today, 11 p.m
- Belmont, Feb. 7, 11 p.m.
- Cambridge, today, 10 p.m.
- Chillicothe, Feb. 6, 6 p.m.
- Crooksville, Feb. 7, 11 p.m.
- Hillsboro, today, noon
- Lancaster, Feb. 6, 11 p.m.
- McConnelsville, Feb. 6, 11 p.m.
- Seaman, today, 10 p.m.
- Steubenville, Feb. 7, 8 p.m.
- Wellston, today, 11 p.m.
- Zanesville, Feb 5, 3 p.m.
Restoration times were adjusted for Crooksville, Lancaster and McConnelsville due to ongoing outages and crews finding more extensive damage. We expect to see additional outages tomorrow as temperatures warm up and ice begins to melt, increasing the possibility of more fallen trees and downed power lines.
Our goal remains to restore power as quickly and safely as possible. Restoration times may need to be altered as new damage is uncovered or unforeseen circumstances warrant a delay to protect the safety of our crews. We will keep you updated if restoration times shift.
WARMING CENTERS
Warming stations have been set up in some of the hardest hit areas, including Belmont, Jefferson and Ross counties. Additional details and locations can be found at AEPOhio.com/OutageMap.
DAMAGE & REPAIRS
Homeowners are responsible for electrical equipment attached to their house. If any equipment was damaged during the storm, it’s important to contact a licensed electrician to make repairs before AEP Ohio can safely restore power. Learn more about the restoration process and responsibilities of a property owner and AEP Ohio here.
SAFETY TIPS
- Stay away from any downed wires and report any hazards through the AEP Ohio mobile app, call 911 or AEP Ohio at (800) 672-2231.
- For the health and safety of AEP Ohio crews, please stay at least 6 feet away from our employees, vehicles and equipment.
- Do not attempt to remove tree limbs or debris within 10 feet of a power line.
- Limbs, leaves and other objects moved by the wind could hide downed wires. Trees damaged by ice could fall or drop broken limbs. Investigate your surroundings before trying to clean up any debris.
- Notify AEP Ohio if you’re using a generator. This protects you and our lineworkers as they work to restore power.
- Never operate lanterns, heaters or fuel-fired stoves without proper ventilation.
- Refuel heaters, lamps and generators outside and away from any flames or sparks. Wipe up spilled fuel immediately.
- Never burn charcoal indoors — it releases poisonous carbon monoxide.
- Unplug major appliances to protect them when power is restored.
STAY CONNECTED
Updated restoration times will be shared as soon as they are available. Customers can receive the latest alerts and information by: