AEP Ohio restores power to almost 90% after weekend storms
AEP Ohio, with help from neighboring states, has restored power to almost 90% of its service area following a wind storm that strafed the region Saturday, felling large trees and with them power lines.
In Columbus, a chimney collapse on Saturday closed a commercial building with residences in the Olde Towne East neighborhood east of Downtown, but an engineer deemed it safe to re-enter late Monday afternoon.
"When a 100-foot tree falls, it's going to bring down anything in its path," said Matt Bennett, operations manager for American Electric Power's Columbus district. "We have not seen damage like this in several years."
Read More:Unusual wind storm cuts power until late Wednesday night for some customers
In the city and its surrounding suburbs there were just 131 outages still being serviced just before noon Monday.
"We've got a few broken poles that have taken lines down," Bennett said. In the Columbus district, he said, there were 40 broken utility poles, more than a third of those statewide.
Many of the poles broke after trees fell across power lines. Trees fell due to saturated ground which loosened their root systems which moor them to the ground.
"This was two inches of rain followed by 60 mph sustained winds," Bennett said.
Even with an 88% restoration rate statewide, AEP Ohio said that 14,000 customers still lacked power, most in the northeast and southeast. At the peak of the outage, more than 125,000 customers lost power, the company reported.
Crews from utilities in seven different states have helped.
"As one crew finishes, they go to the next area with the goal of getting power back to everyone," he said.
Restoration estimates remain the same as Sunday with the goal of full restoration by 11 p.m. Wednesday.
Saturday's high winds might have played a role in a chimney collapse at a three-story commercial building at the southwest corner of Parsons Avenue and Oak Street in Olde Towne East.
Columbus firefighters were called to the building at 8:19 p.m. Saturday after the collapse, with the city fire marshal ordering two buildings at 61-67 Parsons to be vacated for safety reasons.
Columbus Fire Battalion Chief Jeff Geitter said wind likely played a role in the collapse of the chimney, which fell both on to the roof and parking lot behind the buildings.
"It wouldn’t just fall for no reason," he said.
City building inspectors on Monday met with the owner of the two buildings — a limited liability company connected to Lykens Companies — and brought a structural engineer, said Tony Celebrezze, spokesman for the city's Department of Building and Zoning Services.
Celebrezze said tenants in the second- and third-floor apartments told officials about cracks in interior walls and windows. The engineer said the building was structurally safe, Celebreeze said, and occupants were allowed back in the building.
The buildings have three apartments, Celebrezze said. They also hold several businesses, including Corner Stone Craft Beer & Wine, The Beauty Box, and Divine Chiropractic and Wellness Center.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: AEP Ohio restores power to almost 90% after weekend storms
