FirstEnergy expects power knocked out by high winds to be restored by Wednesday afternoon

Akron Beacon Journal
·2 min read

Two days after high winds whipped through Northeast Ohio, knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes, FirstEnergy said it expected to restore service to the majority of customers by 4 p.m. Wednesday.

"Crews are working hard to assess damage and restore power to customers after heavy rain and high winds with gusts exceeding 60 mph swept through our service area yesterday," the company said in a news release Sunday.

More than 25,000 FirstEnergy customers in Summit County lost power Saturday. At least 17,000 homes had service restored by noon Sunday, according to the utility's outage figures. As of 7 a.m. Monday, about 1,755 homes were still without power, down from 2,760 at 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

In 5-county region:Power restored after high winds leave tens of thousands in Summit, elsewhere in the dark

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.

High winds toppled utility poles, which took down power lines Saturday on Wooster Street in Stark County's Tuscarawas Township.
High winds toppled utility poles, which took down power lines Saturday on Wooster Street in Stark County's Tuscarawas Township.

Portage, Medina, Wayne and Stark counties were also hit hard. By 7 a.m. Monday, 2,247 customers in Portage (down from 3,750 at 7:30 p.m. Sunday) and 49 (down from just over 200 at 7:30 p.m. Sunday) in Medina County remained in the dark. As of 7 a.m. Monday, Wayne County had 2,000 homes without power, and Stark County, which is served by two utilities, had 2,465 (down from about 3,680) FirstEnergy customers still without power, and 4,598 AEP Ohio customers (down from about 6,500).

Statewide, as of 7 a.m. Monday, there were 29,292 FirstEnergy customers and 15,210 AEP Ohio customers without power.

In Stark County:High winds cause power outages throughout Stark County

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.

More:Strong winds snap 'Tree of Everlasting Life' in Zoar

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: FirstEnergy says most power should be restored by Wednesday afternoon