As of 8:30 p.m. today, about 27,700 customers remain without power after Hurricane Helene caused damage to our power lines and equipment. More than 1,300 field personnel are making solid progress, with over 55,000 customers back in power.
Through our mutual assistance program, another 140 personnel will arrive tonight to support restoration efforts in hard-hit southern Ohio. They will be joined by crews from the central and eastern parts of the state as they complete local restoration work.
The severity of the damage has slowed restoration efforts in the hardest hit, more rural areas where terrain has made it difficult to reach and repair damaged equipment. As a result, crews are using drone technology and specialized equipment to help more quickly assess damage and restore power.
ESTIMATED TIMES OF RESTORATION (ETRs) & DAMAGE UPDATES
Below are estimated restoration times for customers to make decisions about appropriate next steps that are in the best interest of their family and home. Current estimated restoration times are based on when power is expected to be restored to nearly all customers in the specified area. When crews arrive on individual work sites, a more precise restoration time for the affected group of customers will be updated in our system and communicated through alerts if the customers have signed up to receive our notifications by phone or email. To sign up for alerts, customers should visit AEPOhio.com/Alerts.
Athens Area | ETR: 4 p.m., Sunday
40% of damage assessed
- 7 spans of wire down
- 6 spans of wire with trees
Lancaster Area | ETR: 8 p.m., Sunday
40% of damage assessed
- 20 spans of wire down
- 6 broken poles identified
- 1 broken cross arm identified
- 13 spans of wire with trees
Pomeroy Area | ETR: 8 p.m., Sunday
99% of damage assessed
- 18 spans of wire down
- 1 broken pole identified
- 11 spans of wire with trees
Chillicothe Area | ETR: 11 p.m., Tuesday
10% of damage assessed
- 105 spans of wire down
- 20 broken poles identified
- 24 broken cross arms identified
- 51 spans of wire with trees
- 4 damaged transformers
Hillsboro Area | ETR: 1 p.m., Sunday
70% of damage assessed
Lucasville Area | ETR: 11 p.m., Tuesday
20% of damage assessed
- 85 spans of wire down
- 11 broken poles identified
- 18 broken cross arms identified
- 31 spans of wire with trees
Seaman Area | ETR: 11 p.m., Sunday
50% of damage assessed
- 17 spans of wire down
- 5 broken poles identified
- 11 broken cross arms identified
- 9 spans of wire with trees
- 2 damaged transformers
South Point Area | ETR: 11 p.m., Tuesday
45% of damage assessed
- 50 spans of wire down
- 4 broken poles identified
- 20 broken cross arms identified
- 9 spans of wire with trees
- 1 damaged transformers
Wellston Area | ETR: 11 p.m., Tuesday
20% of damage assessed
- 75 spans of wire down
- 15 broken poles identified
- 15 broken cross arms identified
- 35 spans of wire with trees
- 2 damaged transformers
Columbus Northeast & Northwest Areas | ETR: 4:00 p.m., Sunday
95% and 85% of damage assessed respectively
- 14 spans of wire down
- 6 broken poles identified
- 6 spans of wire with trees
- 3 damaged transformers
Columbus Southeast & Southwest Areas | ETR: 11:59 p.m., Sunday
90% of damage assessed
- 21 spans of wire down
- 8 broken poles identified
- 12 spans of wire with trees
- 3 damaged transformers
FAQS
What can affect restoration times?
There are many factors that can affect the restoration process including but not limited to the amount and type of equipment on a pole, the number of poles broken, if specialized equipment is needed to access a pole location and how much tree debris needs to be removed to access equipment safely.
Whenever possible, crews work to transfer as many customers as possible to an alternate power source while repairs are being made.
If I see crews out working, can they update me on when power will be restored?
While we understand customers without power want the latest on restoration efforts, work zones can have many hazardous conditions, so keeping your distance from crews while they are working is very important. This also allows them to stay focused on the job at hand and ensures everyone's safety. To get up-to-date information on your outage as it’s entered into the system, sign up for alerts at AEPOhio.com/Alerts or visit AEPOhio.com/OutageMap.
After a storm, can I be reimbursed for outage-related damages?
We recommend checking your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy or contacting your insurance agent. In general, we are not responsible for damages caused by natural occurrences.
NEXT UPDATE
An update will be provided later in the day tomorrow. In the meantime, customers can continue to find the most up-to-date restoration times at AEPOhio.com/OutageMap.