A morning report on the power outages can be seen in the player above.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — More than 15,000 AEP customers, mostly in the east and northeast sections of the state, are still without power Monday morning as the company works to restore service after strong winds knocked down power lines throughout the region Saturday.
In a Sunday update, the company said crews made “solid progress” in restoring service, replacing more than 730 spans of wire and 145 broken poles.
According to the AEP outage tracking map, the company is reporting 1,230 outages affecting 15,966 customers, including 242 customers in Franklin County. At the height of the outages Saturday evening, AEP reported more than 16,000 Franklin County customers were without power.
Other reported outages, as of 11:00 a.m., are:
- Athens County: 1,110
- Hocking County: 671
- Vinton County 130
All other central Ohio counties are reporting fewer than 100 outages each.
Further east, Stark and Tuscarawas counties were also severely hit, with more than 4,090 and 1,032 outages respectively at 11:00 a.m. Monday.
In a statement released Saturday night, AEP said restoration for some customers could take “several days — and customers should prepare for a multi-day outage.”
Restoration times for the outages in central Ohio ranged from 5 p.m. Sunday to 3 p.m. Monday, according to the outage map on Sunday. However, some outages to the east showed restoration times as late as 11 p.m. Wednesday, including several customers in Athens and Washington counties.
In the Sunday update, AEP urged those who are still without power to “make decisions about appropriate next steps that are in the best interest of their home and family.”
The company went on to say that the estimated restoration times on the outage map are estimates and will normally be updated to a more precise time when crews get to the scene.
At the height of the outages, AEP reported 126,696 total customers without power Saturday afternoon.
AEP said the company’s efforts to restore power Saturday were hindered by the high wind, preventing workers from using bucket trucks and other equipment.
At 11 a.m. Sunday, AEP said it has more than 2,000 field personnel working on the outages and damage with crews coming from seven different states to assist the restoration effort.
In addition to the outage map, AEP said it will keep customers up to date with mobile alerts and social media posts.
Additionally, South Central Power reported 201 customers without power as of 11:00 a.m.
