FROM FIRST ENERGY

Storms with frequent lightning, heavy rains and strong winds exceeding 70 mph swept into the area in the early morning hours today.

The tree- and flood-related damage is widespread, consisting of hundreds of broken poles and crossarms, downed power lines, and fallen trees and debris blocking road access. Our primary focus at this stage is to remove any hazards and assess the damage so that our crews can access the site of an outage and begin to safely make the repairs.  

All internal line crews, hazard responders, forestry crews, contractors, safety and other support personnel are involved in storm response, and significant additional outside resources are enroute and being deployed to assist with the restoration effort. Though downed trees, localized flooding and road closures can slow progress, crews will continue to work around the clock to safely make repairs and ensure service to all customers has been restored.

Approximately 155,000 customers in northeast Ohio lost power due to the storms, and 98,000 customers remain without service. Due to the extent of damage and early assessments, restoration work is expected to continue through 4 PM August 30, with many customers being restored before that time. As hazards are removed and further assessments made, updated estimated restoral times will be provided.

The use of helicopters and aerial drones are being used to inspect our transmission facilities to quickly and safely locate damaged areas.

 It is important that all customers call CEI to report their power outage: 1-888-LIGHTSS (544-4877) Some customers may think their neighbor’s call to CEI is good enough. That may not be the case. Also, a caller may request a call back if their estimated time of restoration changes. 

The following power restoration information plus more may be found at: https://firstenergycorp.com/outages_help.html

Treat all downed wires as live and dangerous.
·        We secure any known hazards first – downed wires, for example – usually by sending out Hazard Responders to keep the area clear. They are not trained to make repairs, but to help keep the public safe until repairs can be made. 
·        We give priority to hospitals, police and fire departments and other critical facilities. 
·        First, we repair transmission lines and substations that supply power to the local system. 
·        Then we make repairs that restore the largest number of customers – this is the fastest way to restore all customers.