Duke now has restoration estimates for more than 36K customers without power

Jennie Key and Brook Endale, Cincinnati Enquirer
·4 min read

Update 8:00 p.m.:  There are about 36,000 customers without power, according to the Duke Energy outage map. In Hamilton County, about 16,000 customers are still impacted by the outage. In Butler County, there are about 12,600 impacted customers. The estimated time for restoration is by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday.

Update 6:00 p.m.: About 52,000 customers are still without power as of Tuesday evening.  Duke Energy said power should be restored for all Greater Cincinnati customers by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday.

Crews have been working to restore power to residents after Monday's storm left about 166,000 with a power outage.

The company said nearly 100 utility poles have needed replacement so far. Crews from Indiana, South Carolina, North Carolina and Michigan have arrived to assist with damage assessment and restoration.

Cincinnati is under an excessive heat warning until 8 p.m. Wednesday. Duke said the hot temperatures have created additional challenges for crews in the field who are hydrating every 45 minutes as they are outside in heavy fire-retardant clothing.

A spokesperson said this is the most significant outage event to impact Duke Energy's Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky service areas in over a decade.

"We appreciate our customers' patience as our crews work day and night throughout today's heat advisory to restore power quickly and safely. With today's temperatures, please stay safe by making arrangements to keep cool and/or stay with family or friends until power is restored," the statement read.

Crews will work throughout Tuesday evening and overnight again, the company said.

Update 1:50 p.m.: Approximately 76,000 customers in the Cincinnati region are still without power after severe storms and strong winds hit the area Monday night.

The majority of impacted customers are in Hamilton, Warren, and Butler counties. The Duke Energy outage map shows that crews are assessing the damage in many areas and restoration efforts are underway.

A statement on the company's website warns customers that restoration times may take longer than initially expected.

"Monday's intense storm activity took down numerous trees, powerlines and poles. Crews worked through the night to make repairs but damage is severe and widespread. In the areas hardest hit, we may need to adjust our initial estimated times of restoration to account for the isolated nature of the damage incurred. We will provide more specific estimates as we progress throughout the day. Thank you for your patience," the statement read.

More: Beat the heat at Cincinnati-area cooling centers and public pools

About 85,000 people were without power at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday after major storms moved through Monday evening.

At the peak of the outages on Monday, there were more than 166,000 people without power. Early Tuesday, the number was down to 95,000.

A note on Duke Energy's website says crews worked through the night to restore power but the damage is "severe and widespread."

The storms, which brought 60-70 mph winds, took down numerous trees, powerlines and poles, according to Duke Energy.

Kentucky appears to have escaped the brunt of the outages, though about 2,500 customers in Kenton County were without power Monday.

Downed trees at School and Solzman Roads took out power lines from in Sycamore Township during the severe storm Monday, June 14, 2022. Intren, a contractor for Duke Energy was on the scene, along with Wright Tree service, Tuesday, June 14, 2022. These power lines supply electricity to the SPCA nearby, who is now without power. Mike Retzlaft, president and CEO, said they are on a priority with Duke due to their living creatures they care for. For now, they are playing calming music and using generators to cool the place.

Storms caused widespread damage, power outages

Sally Thelen, the spokeswoman for Duke Energy, said crews worked double shifts overnight and new crews are joining the effort to return power to customers. She said all available crews are out today and an additional 350 crews are expected to arrove from Indiana and the Carolinas to help restore power.

Thelen said the storms that came through caused widespread damage. Lines are down and removing vegetation and downed trees and replacing broken poles takes time. "These are not quick fixes," she said.

The majority of the outages are in Hamilton, Butler and Warren counties. She said the power company will be setting up staging areas today and crews are focused on getting power restored as quickly as possible.

"This was a storm like we haven't seen in 10 years," she said. "This was a wicked storm."

Per Duke Energy, restoration times in the hardest-hit areas may need to be adjusted due to the "isolated nature of the damage incurred."

The Enquirer will update this report.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Duke now has restoration estimates for 36K customers without power