Wednesday morning’s strong winds – including 70-mph gusts – led to a peak of 45,861 power outages in Greater Cincinnati
More than 30,000 Duke Energy customers in Ohio and Kentucky remained without electric service, down from a high of nearly 46,000 customer outages at 8:15 a.m.
“Our crews are working to remove downed trees, replace broken power poles, restring power lines and restore power,” said Howard Fowler, Duke Energy’s storm director. “We’ve made significant progress, and we appreciate our customers’ patience and support as we continue to work as quickly and safely as possible.”
Crews responding to widespread outages
Clermont County in Ohio and Boone County in Kentucky were the hardest hit areas on the Duke Energy system this morning. The infrastructure damage, including multiple broken poles and equipment, will involve some lengthy repair work. In some areas, winds gusted between 60-70 mph.
“Ongoing wind gusts exceeding 35 mph are hampering restoration efforts in some areas, as high winds make it unsafe for our line technicians to extend the buckets on their service trucks,” said Fowler.
Restoration estimates are as follows:
Kentucky:
* Boone, Kenton, Campbell Counties — 11:45 p.m. Thursday
Ohio:
* Clermont, Brown Counties — 11:45 p.m. Thursday
* Hamilton County — 11:45 a.m. Thursday
Outage reporting and status updates
Customers who are without power should report their outage by:
* Texting OUT to 57801 (Standard text and data charges may apply)
* Calling the automated outage-reporting system at 800.543.5599
These resources also provide estimated restoration times, when available.
Safety first
Duke Energy reminds customers to stay away from power lines that have fallen or are sagging. Consider all power lines energized, as well as trees or limbs in contact with power lines. Please report downed power lines to Duke Energy.
If a power line falls across a car you’re in, stay in the car. If you MUST get out of the car due to a fire or other immediate life-threatening situation, do your best to jump clear of the car and land on both feet. Be sure no part of your body is touching the car when your feet touch the ground.
Customers should be prepared
Customers should be prepared for the potential of an extended outage.
Duke Energy urges customers to:
* Check supplies of flashlights, batteries, bottled water, non-perishable foods, medicines, etc.
* Ensure a portable, battery-operated radio, TV or NOAA weather radio is on hand.
* Avoid heating homes with a gas grill or bringing a generator inside. Such equipment should be operated only outdoors, and only in well-ventilated areas. Manufacturer instructions should be followed.
* Check on family members, friends and neighbors who have special medical needs or who are elderly, to ensure they have necessary emergency supplies.
* Determine now what action they would take in the event of an extended power outage.
From Duke Energy