COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Utility officials are calling the aftermath of yesterday’s windstorm the most significant blow to the region’s electrical grid in over a decade, as crews work to restore power to hundreds of thousands of customers across Ohio.
Update: 3:10 p.m. – Outage maps for AEP show thousands of customers remain without power as work continues to restore service. PowerOutages.com reports 228,000 are without power in Ohio, including 31,000 in Franklin County.
Update: 1:24 p.m. – With wind gusts peaking at 70 mph, the damage to infrastructure across 61 counties is being described as the worst since the 2012 derecho. The high winds sent trees, heavy limbs, and debris tearing through power lines and snapping utility poles throughout the night.
As of Saturday morning, utility providers reported that electricity has been restored to approximately 80,000 customers. However, with 245,000 still in the dark — including 36,000 in Franklin County — a massive logistical operation is underway.
More than 2,700 personnel are currently in the field conducting damage assessments and providing restoration estimates. Officials confirmed that additional teams from sister companies and national partners are en route to Central Ohio to assist in the recovery.
Update: 12:25 p.m. – American Electric Power (AEP) Ohio crews are working to restore power to thousands of residents Saturday following a line of severe windstorms that swept through the region yesterday.
As of 12:25 p.m., repair efforts are concentrated on the Canal Winchester substation, which sustained significant structural damage during the storm. Utility officials stated that technicians are on-site performing emergency repairs to the high-voltage equipment.
Restoration Timeline
While outages remain scattered across Central Ohio, the utility provided the following updates for the hardest-hit areas:
Canal Winchester: Most customers in this area are expected to have service restored by early Saturday afternoon.Greater Columbus Area: Crews remain deployed across all service territories.Final Restoration: Work will continue around the clock until power is returned to every individual household and business.
Original Reporting
More than 350,000 Ohioans are waking up Saturday morning with no power.
As of about 11 a.m. Saturday, the website PowerOutage.com reports that 304,813 are without power.
Franklin County has the largest number of outages — approximately 50,000, followed by Cuyahoga, near Cleveland, with about 43,000.
Click here for the statewide outage map.