A brutal windstorm tore through central Ohio on Friday and Saturday, snapping trees, shredding power lines, and plunging thousands of homes and businesses into the dark. Many residents went hours, and in some cases days, without heat while utility crews hustled to clear lines and reset poles. AEP workers and contractors have been cycling through round-the-clock restoration shifts across multiple counties.
According to NBC4, Franklin County alone saw about 115,000 customers lose power at the peak of the storm. AEP told the station that crews found more than 250 broken poles and over 100 spans of damaged wire, and the company has brought in roughly 2,000 lineworkers and tree crews from other states to help. Dylan Brown of AEP told NBC4 that some repairs call for specialized equipment and that crews may take extra breaks in the cold to warm up before heading back out.
Restoration Progress And What Is Left
According to the AEP outage map, the vast majority of central Ohio customers had their service restored by Monday evening. Even so, crews were still grinding away in scattered pockets where access is tough or the damage is particularly bad. Replacing a snapped pole, splicing conductors, and testing circuits can eat up several hours at a single site, especially when downed trees block the way in. AEP cautions that estimated restoration times are not set in stone and can shift as crews get a closer look at each problem spot.
Neighbors Left Scrambling
Across the region, residents were left improvising and worrying about safety as the outage dragged on. Keren Keaton of Centerburg told NBC4 that the family’s main generator ran out of propane Saturday night, forcing them to lean on smaller gas generators and haul buckets of water just to flush toilets until the power finally came back.
Near the airport, Alfonso Hooper told NBC4 that being without electricity for days is flat-out dangerous for seniors and urged officials to make sure vulnerable residents are at the front of the line when outages hit. For many, the storm became less about inconvenience and more about basic survival.
Why Repairs Take Time
Behind every restored neighborhood is a slog of methodical, sometimes messy work. Crews have to clear fallen trees, replace broken poles, and splice long stretches of conductor before it is safe to energize a line again. That calls for specialized trucks, bucket lifts, and careful coordination.
As AEP Ohio Wire explains, forestry teams and line crews work closely so that hazards are cut away and removed before electricians move in for final repairs. That step-by-step process slows things down in neighborhoods with heavy damage, but it lowers the risk of more outages later and helps keep workers from getting hurt.
What Residents Should Know
Authorities and utilities are repeating a few key safety reminders. Stay well away from any downed power lines, even if they look dead. Never run a portable generator indoors or in an enclosed space, because carbon monoxide can build up quickly and back-feed into lines that crews are working on.
If your power is still out, report the outage to AEP at 1-800-672-2231 or through your AEP account so crews can log it and prioritize response. Local warming centers and emergency shelters may be available in some communities; residents should contact local officials for locations and help.
