Photo from Carroll Electric Cooperative
For two weekends in a row, Ohio and surrounding states were hit with high winds and storms during the weekends of March 24 and March 31. Both spring storms resulted in widespread power outages and created dangerous work conditions for Ohio electric cooperatives’ lineworker crews who worked day and night to restore power.
Nearly all Ohio co-ops experienced power outages. During the first weekend storm, the hardest-hit Ohio and West Virginia co-ops included Carroll Electric Cooperative, Harrison Rural Electric Cooperative, Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative, South Central Power Company, and Washington Electric Cooperative. During the second weekend storm, the hardest-hit Ohio co-ops included Midwest Electric, Mid-Ohio Energy, North Central Electric Cooperative, Tricounty Rural Electric Cooperative, and Carroll Electric Cooperative. During the second weekend, Midwest Electric and Mid-Ohio Energy Cooperative’s distribution systems were hit by a confirmed tornado, causing significant damage to the region. There was also significant damage to IOU transmission systems with many broken poles, leaving conductor on top of various cooperative distribution systems.
Both weekends, Ohio co-ops received an outpouring of lineworker mutual aid from other co-ops in the state and nearby states. The following Ohio co-ops welcomed mutual aid crews from the co-ops listed beneath their names:
Carroll Electric Cooperative
- Weekend 1:
- Darke Rural Electric Cooperative – 2 lineworkers
- Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (VA) – 6 lineworkers
- Weekend 2:
- Frontier Power Company – 2 lineworkers
- North Central Electric Cooperative – 4 lineworkers
- Lorain-Medina Electric Cooperative – 4 lineworkers
Harrison Rural Electric Cooperative (WV)
- Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (VA) – 4 lineworkers
Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative
- Weekend 1:
- Logan County Electric Cooperative – 2 lineworkers
- Midwest Electric – 2 lineworkers
- North Central Electric Cooperative – 8 lineworkers
- Weekend 2:
- Butler Rural Electric Cooperative – 2 lineworkers
Midwest Electric
- Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative – 6 lineworkers
- Logan County Electric Cooperative – 5 lineworkers
- Darke Rural Electric Cooperative – 2 lineworkers
- Pioneer Rural Electric Cooperative – 6 lineworkers
South Central Power Company
- Butler Rural Electric Cooperative – 2 lineworkers
- Mid-Ohio Energy Cooperative – 2 lineworkers
- North Central Electric Cooperative – 2 lineworkers
Washington Electric Cooperative
- Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative – 4 lineworkers
- Johnson County REMC (IN) – 2 lineworkers
- Southern Indiana Power – 2 lineworkers
- Whitewater Valley REMC (IN) – 2 lineworkers
Power reliability for electric cooperative member-owners is a top priority for all Ohio co-ops and the non-stop restoration efforts and mutual aid support is yet another example of that commitment and incredible cooperation among cooperatives. Thank you to those co-ops and lineworkers who have worked tirelessly to restore power to members over the last two weeks.
