FirstEnergy, AEP announce when power expected to be restored
Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the timeline that AEP stated for restoring power to Stark, Carroll and Tuscarawas county customers.
Two days after high winds whipped through Northeast Ohio and knocked out power to tens of thousands of homes, many Stark County residents and businesses still are wondering when their electricity will be restored.
FirstEnergy and AEP said they expected to restore service to customers by Wednesday night.
Nearly 39,000 FirstEnergy and AEP customers in Stark County lost power Saturday. FirstEnergy reported that more than 2,100 of its customers were still without power Monday afternoon. AEP reported that 1,999 customers still didn't have power.
The company noted that more than 125,000 customers were affected by the windstorm, and crews had restored power to 90% of them by Monday afternoon.
"Damage was extensive and widespread across our service territory, with Northeast and Southeast Ohio the hardest hit," AEP said. "As power is restored, crews from other areas around the state — including Columbus and Northwest Ohio — are traveling to the hard-hit areas to help with the restoration effort. Widespread rain is moving into our service territory and could worsen ground that is already saturated. These conditions could cause more trees to fall and result in additional outages."
More wind damage:Strong winds snap 'Tree of Everlasting Life' in Zoar
In Stark County:High winds cause power outages throughout Stark County
Saturday's high winds snapped trees and utility poles and brought down power lines.
"Though downed trees, localized flooding and road closures can slow progress, crews will continue to work around the clock to get customers back up and running," FirstEnergy said in the statement.
Some Stark businesses remain closed, others working by flashlight
Several Stark County libraries and businesses were closed Monday because they still didn't have electricity. Gervasi Vineyard's power had been restored, but its restaurants and other outlets remained closed Monday after it sustained a “tremendous loss of food and supplies,” according to a post on its social media page.
See here for the list: Stark County places that are closed due to the power outage.
Jeff Peck, co-owner of Mohler True Value Home Center in Jackson Township, and his crew have stayed open for business despite having no electricity since 2 p.m. Saturday after a transformer shortcircuited across the street.
“We saw a big blue flash,” Peck said. “Most of the power has come back on (in the area) except for us and the strip mall next door. We’re hopeful something will happen today.”
Workers are using a combination of a power generator, flashlights and some decorative porch lights to illuminate the mostly dark store. Employees, with flashlights, were guiding customers to their products, and the store has been able to power two registers.
“(Customers) are buying candles, lamp oil and all that kind of stuff," Peck said.
Tips from FirstEnergy on what to do during a power outage
FirstEnergy advises customers to report a power outage even if a neighbor has already reported it. Here's how:
Report an outage online at https://firstenergycorp.com/outages_help/Report_Power_Outages.html. Customers can view an outage map or log on to their online accounts to view the status of a reported outage.
Text OUT to 544487 (LIGHTS). Text STAT to 544487 to receive an update for a reported outage. Customers not enrolled in text messaging can text REG to 544487 to get started.
Call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877). Customers with a communication disability can report an outage using the appropriate TTY/TDD relay service, an online form or text messaging.
Repository staff writers Kelli Weir and Benjamin Duer contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: FirstEnergy says most power should be restored by Wednesday afternoon
