Lights went out across central Ohio Sunday night as severe storms ripped through the region, knocking out power for thousands of homes and businesses while crews hustled to clear downed trees and fix damaged lines. Neighborhoods around Columbus and in nearby counties were left in the dark just as temperatures started to dip.
As reported by WBNS, AEP Ohio’s outage map showed nearly 10,000 outages inside the station’s viewing area and roughly 16,000 AEP customers without power statewide during the evening. The station noted that most of the interruptions were tied to downed trees and damaged equipment rather than any single transmission failure.
Where outages were concentrated
Live tracking pointed to the heaviest impacts in Franklin County, with scattered trouble spots east and south of Columbus. Data from PowerOutage.us showed roughly 16,000 customers out statewide and flagged Franklin, Guernsey, Licking and Pickaway counties among the hardest hit at the time of the update. Smaller outages in rural areas were widespread and can take longer for crews to track down and repair.
Storms, hail and the forecast
The National Weather Service issued severe weather statements and watches as a cold front rolled across the region, warning of damaging winds and the potential for large hail in some storms. According to the National Weather Service (Wilmington), temperatures were expected to fall after midnight, with Monday staying on the cooler side before a warmer rebound by Tuesday. WBNS reported that the severe threat included hail greater than 1 inch in diameter in some cells.
AEP response and safety tips
AEP said crews were out responding to outages and urged customers to report problems through its online outage map or by calling 800-672-2231. According to AEP Ohio, residents should steer clear of any downed power lines, run generators only outdoors, and follow local emergency instructions until service is restored.
Crews were expected to work through the night into Monday to get the lights back on. Officials urged anyone who spots downed lines to call local emergency services and to report outages directly to AEP. This story will be updated as utility and weather authorities post new information.
