OHIO — Strong winds left thousands of Ohioans in the dark, as power outage numbers climbed up along the track of severe weather on Saturday.
What You Need To Know
- Ohio faced another round of strong winds and power outages Saturday, leaving over 200,000 reports of outages
- Northern and Southern parts of the state were the hardest hit
- To report an outage, call AEP Ohio at 1(800)-672-2231
Over 200,000 outages were reported at one point across the state.
"We here at Ohio are prepared all across the state no matter where it hits,” said Matt Bennett, operations manager for AEP Ohio.
After strong winds tore through parts of the state last weekend, thousands of Ohioans faced yet another round of storms — not only bringing on more damage, but power outages.
But this time, AEP said the Northern and Southern parts of the state were hit the hardest.
It left behind a trail of destruction, including several trees uprooted, limbs, and power lines downed.
But, despite dangerous winds, AEP crews were out and about, assessing the damage.
"Crews are ready to respond,” said Bennett. “We have crews working 24/7."
Bennett said, more than 2,000 workers were ready to go with a portion coming in from out of state.
While crews work around the clock, Bennett said the more you prepare, the better.
"Go and find your flashlights and extra batteries, nonperishable foods, drinking water. Then we urge those with medical needs or on life support, go ahead and get a plan in place for that,” said Bennett.
And to those experiencing power outages, Bennett is asking for everyone's patience.
"We appreciate your patience,” said Bennett. “We understand the hardship and the impact of being without power for days can be for them and will continue to work until every last customer is restored."