AEP, Ohio Edison still working to restore power to 10,000 customers in Stark

Thousands of Ohio Edison and American Electric Power Ohio customers remained without power in Stark County early Saturday morning after strong winds swept through northern Ohio.

AEP reported more than 8,600 customers are still impacted and estimated that power would be restored by 11 p.m. Saturday. Ohio Edison reported 2,953 outages as of 7 a.m. Saturday.

Statewide, AEP reported early Saturday that 190,000 customers were without power, while Ohio Edison reported more than 113,800.

Both power companies asked for patience in messages posted to social media.

Ohio Edison said winds hit 60 to 70 mph in some areas.

“We have already encountered over 100 broken poles across FirstEnergy’s Ohio footprint, and we expect that number to increase along with broken trees, downed wires and more,” the company said. “The ongoing high winds could slow restoration efforts, as crews cannot safely work in buckets when wind speeds exceed 40 mph. Our top priority is safety, and we appreciate your patience while they work to restore service as it’s safe to do so.”

AEP Ohio sent the following text to customers late Friday evening: “AEP Ohio: Severe, sustained winds caused widespread damage to electric infrastructure across Ohio. We are working to restore outages in your community. We know being without electricity is stressful and we are grateful for your patience. Our crews are working around the clock to assess damage and restore electricity to you as quickly as they safely can. Remember: downed lines are dangerous and could be hidden beneath downed limbs. Please stay safe and as far from them as possible.”