COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — With some people in central Ohio having just had power restored to their homes, AEP is asking residents to conserve electricity to help prevent further interruptions.
A statement from AEP Ohio on Thursday afternoon read:
“We are continuing to monitor the performance of our electrical system as temperatures rise. We ask that customers in the Columbus area reduce any unnecessary electric usage between the peak hours of noon and 7 p.m. today to help reduce the potential of further emergency outages. Simple steps like these can help:
- Turning your thermostat up a few degrees
- Closing the curtains
- Avoiding doing laundry or washing dishes during that time
- Turning off unnecessary lights or appliances”
Nearly 250,00 customers lost power in Ohio after storms, strong winds in excess of 75 miles per hour and high temperatures led to widespread outages. As of 2:30 p.m., AEP Ohio is reporting that 32,000 customers statewide, and 1,215 customers in Franklin County, remain without power. 93% of customers have had their power restored.
More than 350 poles and 2,100 spans of wire were brought down across AEP’s service territory. In remaining hard-hit areas, drones and helicopters continue to be used to assess damage.