COLUMBUS, Ohio — More than 1,700 crews with AEP Ohio are working to restore power to thousands of central Ohioans this weekend.
The winter storm brought a significant amount of snow, sleet and ice to the region. Cities north of Columbus got more snow, some seeing up to 10 inches while others in the south and southeast areas saw more ice.
According to AEP Ohio, more than 53,000 people lost power at the height of the storm.
Below is a breakdown of power outages by each county as of 3 a.m. Monday:
- Fairfield - 217 South Central Power customers
- Guernsey - 1 AEP customer
- Hocking - 1 AEP customer, 1.9K South Central Power customers
- Muskingum - 1 AEP customers
- Perry - 133 South Central Power customers
- Ross - 4 South Central Power customers
- Washington - 1 AEP customers
AEP Ohio brought in crews from Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and Virginia to help work on restoring power to people in the state, the company said in a release Saturday.
Crews assessed the damage and found more than 120 broken poles and 1,700 downed spans of wires that need to be replaced.
AEP Ohio expects power to be restored in certain at the following days and times:
- Chillicothe, Feb. 6, 6 p.m.
- Crooksville, Feb. 7, 11 p.m.
- Lancaster, Feb. 6, 11 p.m.
- McConnelsville, Feb. 6, 11 p.m.
- Steubenville, Feb. 7, 8 p.m.
In a Facebook post Saturday, crews with South Central Power Co. have replaced dozens of broken poles and are challenged with road and weather conditions.
What to Do If the Lights Go Out
If the winter storm knocks out your power, here are a few tips to stay safe:
- Stay away from all sparking equipment and downed lines or anything they may be touching. Call 911 and AEP Ohio to report hazardous conditions.
- Notify AEP Ohio if you’re using a generator – this protects you and our lineworkers as they work to restore power.
- Never operate lanterns, heaters or fuel-fired stoves without proper ventilation.
- Never burn charcoal indoors. It releases poisonous carbon monoxide.
- Never remove debris that’s within 10 feet of a power line.
- Unplug major appliances to protect them when power is restored.
- Refuel heaters, lamps and generators outside and away from any flames or sparks. Wipe up spilled fuel immediately.
