AEP field personnel and service crews are working to restore power to customers affected by Helene’s remnant wind and rain, the utility said Friday.
More than 65,000 AEP customers in Ohio were without power, according to the AEP outage map just before 9 p.m. and just under 10,000 of those are in Franklin County. Field personnel from more than 40 centers have fanned out and are assessing the damage from Helene and making repairs, AEP said.
AEP also warned that the storm is still slogging through the state, so the possibility for additional outages remains. Restoration times will be made available on the AEP outage website.
Other utilities in Ohio also report thousands of customers without power. The heaviest outages are in central, southern and southwestern Ohio, where Helene’s remnants struck first as they pushed northward from the South.
AEP said its crews that were sent to West Virginia and Virginia will be in Ohio on Saturday morning to help with power restoration.
The National Weather Service has canceled its high wind alert for all counties. They have also reported on their X page that wind speeds have been decreasing throughout the evening.
Wind-blown rain made for a rough afternoon rush, however, likely contributing to some of the many minor accidents around the Columbus area. Downed trees and power lines were reported around the area, including near Grove City in southwestern Franklin County.
The Chillicothe area in Ross County and the Waverly area in Pike County experienced sustained heavy rainfall with amounts totaling more than 4 inches.
Post-tropical cyclone Helene made landfall in Florida late Thursday night as a Category 4 hurricane with 140-mph winds, USA Today previously reported. Dozens of storm-related deaths have been reported in multiple states across the southeastern United States, as well as significant damage to homes and businesses and severe flooding.
More: Cincinnati area under high wind warning thanks to Helene. Here’s how to protect yourself
How to check power outages in Columbus
If you live in the city of Columbus, the Columbus Division of Power maintains a real-time outage map that you can check by visiting their website. You can also call the division at (614) 645-7627.
American Electric Power customers can check its online map for outage information. The company can also be contacted at 1-800-672-2231 to check outage status or report an outage, according to AEP’s website.
Dispatch reporters Bethany Bruner and Shahid Meighan contributed to this report.
This story is ongoing and will be updated.
NHart@dispatch.com
@NathanRHart
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: AEP begins restoring power to those affected by Helene
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