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Statewide: Approximately 2,500 line, tree, contractor, assessor and support personnel continue working to restore power to AEP Ohio customers after severe storms across the state earlier this week — 93% of customers have been restored. Lightning and winds in excess of 75 miles per hour brought down more than 350 poles and 2,100 spans of wire across our service territory. In remaining hard-hit areas, drones and helicopters continue to be used to assess damage.
At Tuesday’s 8 p.m. peak, nearly 250,000 customers across the state were without power, including 170,000 in central Ohio. As of noon today, restoration efforts have reduced that number to 32,000 statewide.
Columbus Area Outages: Overnight crews were able to restore power to the Columbus area. We are continuing to monitor the performance of our electrical system as temperatures rise. We ask that customers in the Columbus area reduce any unnecessary electric usage between the peak hours of noon and 7 p.m. today to help reduce the potential of further emergency outages. Simple steps like these can help:
- Turning your thermostat up a few degrees
- Closing the curtains
- Avoiding doing laundry or washing dishes during that time
- Turning off unnecessary lights or appliances
A new outage unrelated to storm damage is affecting some customers in the Clintonville area. The outage is the result of a piece of distribution equipment that needs to be repaired — crews have partially restored the outage and are working to restore the remaining customers.
In addition to high temperatures, today’s forecast is also showing the potential for storms this evening. We have crews ready to work on any outages that might occur if there are any impacts from these storms.
Additional information about the outages affecting Columbus customers can be found at AEPOhioWire.com/columbus-area-power-outages-faqs.
RESTORATION UPDATES
Southeastern Ohio
· Marietta – 5 p.m. Today
· McConnelsville – 5 p.m. Today
· Pomeroy – 11:59 p.m. Today
Southern Ohio
· Chillicothe – Noon Friday
· Lucasville – Noon Friday
· Wellston – Noon Friday
Eastern Ohio
· Belmont – 11 p.m. Friday
· Coshocton – 11 p.m. Saturday
· Mt. Vernon – 11:59 p.m. Friday
· Newark – 11:59 p.m. Today
· Zanesville – 4 p.m. Friday
Northeast Ohio
· New Philadelphia – 11 p.m. Saturday
· Wooster – 4 p.m. Saturday
Northwest Ohio
· Bucyrus – 10 p.m. Today
· Findlay – 4 p.m. Today
· Ottawa – 4 p.m. Today
· Upper Sandusky – 11 p.m. Today
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 & ASSISTANCE
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.
AEP Ohio does not reimburse for perishable items during a power outage. We recommend checking with your insurance agent. Additionally, customers may request an outage verification letter from us to request emergency food assistance from local food pantries and non-profits by contacting our call center at (800) 672-2231.
If customers are experiencing financial hardship, we can work together to find the right option. Additional information can be found at AEPOhio.com/Assistance or by reaching out to AEP Ohio on Facebook or Twitter.
STAY CONNECTED
Updated restoration times will be shared as soon as they are available. Customers can receive the latest alerts and information by:
● Downloading the AEP Ohio mobile app: AEPOhio.com/App
● Signing up for text alerts: AEPOhio.com/Alerts
● Visiting AEPOhio.com/OutageMap
● Following AEP Ohio on Facebook and Twitter
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.
● 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.