search
Donate

News

AEP Says Power Out In Numerous Counties

By: ,
Posted on:

< < Back to

UPDATE 9:00 P.M. According to outage maps from American Electric Power, the number of customers without electricity following severe evening storms is dwindling, though nearly 44,000 customers are still in the dark.

Rural counties in Ohio are experiencing a greater number of outages, compared with urban counties, with Franklin County being the exception.

That county currently has more than 7,000 customers without power.

Notable numbers of the approximate number of reported outages around Southeast Ohio include:

Tuscarawas County: 5800

Ross County: 3100

Muskingum County: 2500

Morgan County: 2900

Fairfield County: 2000

The outages come as many power customers had recently recovered from losing electricity during a previous round of severe storms which affected 660,000 AEP customers state-wide.

No word yet from AEP on restoration timelines.

UPDATE 8:15 P.M.  According to latest reports from American Electric Power, 40 percent of the 65 Ohio counties serviced by AEP have suffered some power outages following severe weather Thursday evening.  

Rural counties, as with the June 29 storm, seem to have suffered more than urban counties.

Earlier over 57,500 customers were without power.  Now the number has been reduced to just under 49,500.
 
Although Franklin County and the Newark area were initially hit the hardest by the storm, power is being restored quicker to those regions that the outlying parts of the state.
 
But, Franklin County still has over 6,700 customers without power and Licking County about 2,400.
 
Morgan County has over 3,100 customers in the dark tonight.  That amounts to 37.4 percent of the total AEP customers in that county.
 
Jefferson County and the Steubenville area also were devastated with over 4,950 outages for about 15 percent of its customers.
 
Muskingum County has 3,617 without power, Ross County 3,245, and Tuscarawas County, including the New Philadelphia area, has 8,042 customers losing power or 23.5 percent.
 
Athens County has over 1,400 customers without power for about 5 percent of AEP's county subscribers.
 
There is no word from AEP on when power will be restored to the state for the second time in a month.  They have issued no statement since 6:15 p.m., when they indicated they would be reaching out to outside assistance in their restoration efforts.
 
Outage maps are continually being update at the AEP website.

 

UPDATE 6:25 P.M. American Electric Power Ohio reports 51,000 power customers across the state are without power following a strong storm system making its way across Ohio.

According to an AEP release, customers in New Philadelpia, Columbus and Newark are the most affected by the aftermath of strong winds and thunderstorms.

AEP reports they have requested outside assistance from other companies for restoration efforts.

No word yet on restoration estimates or timelines.

UPDATE 6:20 P.M.  As of 6 p.m. Thursday, over 48,000 American Electric Power customers are out of power again in Ohio and 337 in West Virginia.  Again, central, southeastern and eastern Ohio have taken the hardest hits.

Over 14,200 customers in Franklin Co. have been out of power since about 4 p.m.  
 
AEP says, through social media, that it will start assessing the damage as soon as the storms pass.  Most of Ohio is still under Severe Thunderstorm Warnings until 10 p.m.
 
Currently AEP has outages in 19 of Ohio's 88 counties stretching from Canton in the north to the Ohio River in the south.
 
AEP has issued no official statement at this time.  You may obtain current information about outages in your area through AEP online outage maps.
 
Here is a listing of the outages for counties within our area and the percentage of customers impacted:
 
Licking   3,958  06.4%
Muskingum   3,855  10.7%
Fairfield  3,809  12.7%
Ross   2,949  13.3%
Perry   1,555  12.6%
Morgan   1,036  20.6%
Guernsey    867  05.7%
Pike         389  03.5%
Jefferson    269  01.0%
Hocking     113  01.0%

 

From the New Philidephia area in the north to around Portsmouth in the south, many counties in the region are now under a severe thunderstorm warning.

There are reports of heavy rain, lightning strike and strong winds.

American Electric Power is reporting outages in a dozen or so counties, including Ross, Muskingum, and Fairfield.