News
Halloween Storm Knocks Out Power Across Region
By: Associated Press, Tom Hodson
Posted on:
UPDATE 2:20 p.m. At 2 p.m. Friday, AEP still has over 3,800 residences without power in Central and Southern Ohio.
According to the AEP outage map there are still 1,909 locations without power in Franklin Co. and 129 in Fairfield Co. In Southern Ohio, four counties still have residences without power.
Lawrence Co. leads the list with 1,009 with Adams Co. at 374, Scioto at 259 and Jackson at 121.
At the height of the wind storm early this morning more than 35,000 AEP residences were without power. AEP predicts that power should be restored to most areas by midnight tonight.
UPDATE 11:00 a.m. AEP says that at the height of the wind storm at 3 a.m. Friday, some 35,600 residences were without power and as of 9 a.m. about half of those have had their power restored.
AEP says the high winds broke poles and knocked down power lines in several areas. Southern Ohio and the areas of Chesapeake, Ironton, and Southeastern Columbus were the worst areas hit.
Power is expected to be restored to the majority of the customers by midnight today, according to AEP. Additional crews are being assigned to the hardest hit areas.
High winds and storms ripped through Southeast Ohio last night causing power outages throughout the region.
As of 9:30 Friday morning, more than 12,000 residences are still without power in the region, according to American Electric Power's outage map.
Central Ohio accounts for the greatest number of outages with Franklin Co. totaling 5,103 and neighboring Fairfield Co. 1,262. Licking County and Muskingum County total 248 and 105 respectively.
In Southern Ohio, Lawrence Co. leads the number of outages with 3,638 residences in the dark. The other outages are spread across the southern portion of the state: Hocking Co. 205, Washington Co. 217, Ross Co. 216, Jackson Co. 238, Adams Co. 182, and Scioto Co. 399.
Jefferson Co. in Eastern Ohio is reporting 397 outages.
In West Virginia Appalachian Power says at least 29,000 customers were without electrical service.
The outages included more than 11,000 homes and businesses in Wayne County, 8,900 in Cabell County and nearly 3,000 in Lincoln County.
The high winds brought down trees and power lines and caused a roof to collapse at a Huntington business early Friday.
AEP reports that all power has been restored to customers in Athens Co., Vinton Co., Meigs Co., and Gallia Co.
Winds gusted in storms throughout the night up to speeds of 50 mph, according to weather authorities.