SITUATION
As of 10 a.m. approximately 120,000 AEP Ohio customers are without power after lightning and wind gusts up to 75 miles per hour crossed the state and took down trees and power lines. At the height of the storm more than 155,000 customers were affected. Crews worked through the night and continue to assess significant damage as they also restore power.
Line, tree, contractor and support personnel are fully engaged with approximately 400 additional field personnel requested. Please know we’re committed to providing you estimated restoration times as soon as they become available. We expect to have restoration times for most areas by this evening and remaining areas tomorrow morning. Hard-hit areas can expect a multiple-day outage. Inclement weather may cause further damage and additional outages.
Safety Reminders:
- Never touch any downed wires or anything they may be touching. Please call us or 911 to report wires down.
- Please refrain from clearing tree debris from roadways as energized downed wires may be hidden under the vegetation.
- Do not attempt to remove tree limbs or debris within 10 feet of a power line.
ASSESSING THE DAMAGE
Crews are currently assessing significant storm damage as well as making initial repairs, restoring power as they are able.
Assessment in hard-hit areas is expected to continue through tomorrow. This is a critical step that occurs as we work to restore power. Assessment provides a roadmap for our crews to respond appropriately to get your power back on. We know it’s hot and customers want their power on, and we’re going to work as quickly as we safely can to make that happen. We’ll continue to post updates as information becomes available.
RESTORATION PROCESS
Essential services such as hospitals, fire and police stations and water treatment plants are our top priority. Damaged main lines are also being repaired to restore power to the largest number of customers. Crews then work to energize clusters of homes and businesses.
Once the main lines have been restored, crews then focus on restoring power to individual homes and businesses. This step often takes the most time as each repair affects only a few customers.
Read here for more about our restoration process.
DAMAGE & REPAIRS
Homeowners are responsible for electrical equipment attached to their house. If any equipment was damaged during the windstorm, it’s important to contact a licensed electrician to make repairs before AEP Ohio can safely restore power.
Learn more about the responsibilities of a property owner and AEP Ohio here.
STAY CONNECTED
Updated restoration times will be shared as soon as they are available. Customers can receive the latest alerts and information by:
COOLING CENTERS
Cooling centers will be listed on our outage map as they become available.
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.
- Limbs, leaves and other objects moved by the wind could hide downed wires. 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.
- Unplug major appliances to protect them when power is restored.
NEXT UPDATE
8 p.m. We expect to be able to announce restoration times for most areas later today.