CLEVELAND — As strong winds continue to impact Northeast Ohio, we're tracking power outages throughout the region as well.
Here are the latest power outage updates from FirstEnergy as of 4:00 p.m. Wednesday:
- Ashtabula County: 343 outages (down from 376 outages last hour)
- Cuyahoga County: 546 outages (down from 670 outages last hour)
- Geauga County: 245 outages (down from 495 outages last hour)
- Lake County: 468 outages (up from 456 outages last hour)
- Stark County: 15 outages (down from 310 last hour)
- Summit County: 396 outages (up from 367 outages last hour)
While FirstEnergy estimates power will be restored to some customers today, others -- especially in Cuyahoga and Lake counties -- many not have restoration until 4 p.m. Thursday.
We will be updating this story with the latest power outage updates, so be sure to refresh the page frequently to see the most recent information.
The issue comes as wind gusts in some parts of Northeast Ohio topped out at more than 50 mph on Tuesday.
Lake County was one of the hardest hit areas by heavy and intense winds.
The fire department in Perry dealt with many storm damage calls, including a huge fallen tree on Narrows Rd. near Lane Rd. The tree fell across the entire road, taking out multiple power lines with it.
"It's a big tree," said Chief Dominic Chiappone of the Perry Joint Fire District. "Use caution when you're driving, especially with the power lines. If there is one down, it's hard to see with the gray skies.”
They had to close down the road for hours.
"It disrupts the community," Chiappone said of the damage. "Once school lets out, it disrupts kids getting home from school. We're not the only ones affected at this time. So hopefully we can get it cleaned up and get back to normal.”
The downed lines on Narrows Rd. caused many on the street to lose power, including Drew Keough, who 3News spoke to as he was fixing his broken generator.
He said his home's power was cutting in and out, and he expected the generator to give him back up power. Turns out it's 13 years old and it's battery was out, so he had to run out and purchase one for $150.
Keough added that he feels sorry for his neighbors who are having to live in the dark right now, with Perry Fire not knowing when it will be restored.
"I feel bad for them," Keough said. "Luckily it's not 20 below zero."
A spokesperson for First Energy says they don't know when all power in the county will be restored in Lake County, but they're working to "get it back up and running as quickly and safely as possible."
Prior to the weather's arrival in Northeast Ohio, FirstEnergy said they are implementing their storm response plans, which include:
- Implementing 16-hour-shifts for storm personnel with around-the-clock coverage.
- Staffing additional internal operators, damage assessors and analysts at distribution control centers to assist with high volumes of outage calls.
- Notifying contractors to be ready to assist with restoration efforts.
- Securing additional line, substation and forestry personnel.
- Contacting emergency management officials, state officials, regulators and local officials about the company's storm preparation efforts.
"Sustained winds and heavy rain could slow restoration efforts, as crews cannot safely operate bucket trucks when wind speeds exceed 40 miles per hour," FirstEnergy said in a press release. "Saturated soil and flooding can also hinder access and create hazardous conditions for crews as they work to make repairs to lines and equipment damaged by fallen trees and branches."