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Ohio Governor Declares State Of Emergency
By: Associated Press
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Gov. John Kasich has declared a state of emergency in Ohio after severe storms swept across the state, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands and causing at least one death.
Kasich on Saturday cited widespread power losses, utility damages and excessive heat that could create crisis conditions for some Ohioans.
State emergency officials say 800,000 to 1 million people still had power outages Saturday morning.
American Electric Power reported 500,000 customers across Ohio and into West Virginia without power.
The Muskingum County sheriff's office says an eastern Ohio woman was killed in the storms, but no details were released immediately.
AEP says damaged poles and distribution circuits will slow restoration for days.
It says winds rivaled those of Hurricane Ike's remnants in 2008, topping 75 mph.