GAHANA — As of 10 a.m. Tuesday approximately 120,000 AEP Ohio customers were 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. AEP is committed to providing estimated restoration times as soon as they become available and they 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 AEP 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. It’s hot and customers want their power on, and AEP is going to work as quickly as safely possible to make that happen.
RESTORATION PROCESS
Essential services such as hospitals, fire and police stations and water treatment plants are the 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.
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.
STAY CONNECTED
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 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 AEP 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 lineworkers as they work to restore power.
Unplug major appliances to protect them when power is restored.
About AEP Ohio: AEP Ohio is based in Gahanna, Ohio, and is a unit of American Electric Power. AEP Ohio provides electricity to 1.5 million customers.
