Columbus, OH - Electric cooperatives across Ohio saw power outages climb over 83,000 by 9 p.m. Friday, March 13, after winds whipped across the state for hours, with gusts reaching 77 mph, according to the National Weather Service. Columbus airport recorded 71 mph wind gusts just after 4 p.m.
Snapped utility poles and substations without power from transmission suppliers caused many of the outages across the central part of the state. Pictured above from left to right are damage photos from Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative, Midwest Electric and Firelands Electric Cooperative.
With safety always the priority, lineworkers worked around the clock to get members back online. By 9 a.m. Saturday morning, outages were down to 58,000 and the restoration work continues. The damage in some co-op service areas will require multi-day restoration efforts. One cooperative in western Ohio had as many as 50 poles go down at the height of the windstorm.
Seven Ohio cooperatives have called for mutual aid due to extensive damage. In true cooperative spirit, less impacted co-ops are answering the call. The red area of the map shows the peak of the highest concentration of outages in the state.
Ohio’s electric cooperatives urge everyone to stay away from any downed lines they might encounter because they could be energized. Contact with a live downed line could be deadly.
