Power has been restored to more than 230,000 of the approximately 578,000 FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) customers who lost service due to severe storms that swept across northeast Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey on Monday. With assistance from over 4,100 additional line workers and field personnel from contractors and mutual assistance organizations, FirstEnergy's electric company personnel will continue working around the clock in 16-hour shifts to make repairs as quickly and safely as possible.
The storm system brought strong winds exceeding 75 mph in parts of Ohio and western Pennsylvania, along with rainfall exceeding two inches in parts of eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Northeast Ohio was the hardest hit area, with more than 333,000 outages across Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, and Lorain counties.
The tree- and flood-related damage is widespread, causing hundreds of broken poles and crossarms, downed power lines, and fallen trees blocking road access. "Our primary focus at this stage is to remove any hazards and assess the damage so that crews can access the site of an outage and begin to safely make the repairs," said a company spokesperson. Due to the extent of damage, restoration work is expected to continue over the next few days, particularly in Ohio.
Customers are advised to assume all downed or low-hanging power lines are energized and dangerous. They should stay at least 30 feet away and use extra caution where downed lines are tangled in trees or other debris. Downed lines should be reported immediately by calling 911.
All internal line crews, hazard responders, forestry crews, contractors, safety personnel, and other support staff are involved in storm response efforts. Significant additional outside resources have also been secured to assist with restoration efforts. Despite challenges such as downed trees, localized flooding, and road closures slowing progress, crews will continue working around the clock until service is fully restored.
Current outage updates as of 10 a.m. today include:
- The Illuminating Company: Approximately 338,200 customers in northeast Ohio lost power due to the storms; 306,000 customers remain without service.
- Ohio Edison: Approximately 97,400 customers in northern and eastern Ohio lost power; 28,500 remain without service.
- Penn Power: Approximately 17,800 customers in western Pennsylvania lost power; 5,200 remain without service.
- West Penn Power: Approximately 16,200 customers in western Pennsylvania lost power; approximately 1,500 remain without service.
- Penelec: Approximately 12,600 customers in northern and central Pennsylvania lost power; about 245 remain without service.
- Met-Ed: Approximately 15,200 customers in eastern Pennsylvania lost power; 3,500 remain without service.
- JCP&L: Approximately 44,700 customers in New Jersey lost power; about 3,800 remain without service.
Customers experiencing a service interruption due to the storm are encouraged to report their outage if they have not already done so by calling 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877), texting OUT to LIGHTS (544487), or clicking the "Outages" link on firstenergycorp.com.
FirstEnergy customers can sign up for email and text message alert notifications for updates after reporting a power outage. Customers can also use two-way text messaging for reporting outages or requesting updates on restoration efforts. More information about these communication tools is available at firstenergycorp.com/connect.
For updated information on current outages or tips for staying safe during storm restoration processes visit FirstEnergy's Power Center at firstenergycorp.com/outages.
Emergency power generators offer an option for uninterrupted service but must be selected and installed by a qualified electrician for safety reasons. When operating a generator inside your home should always be disconnected from incoming power sources to avoid creating hazardous situations for utility workers.
FirstEnergy serves customers across multiple states including Ohio,Pennsylvania ,New Jersey ,West Virginia ,Maryland,and New York .Its transmission subsidiaries operate approximately24 ,000 miles of transmission lines connecting Midwest & Mid -Atlantic regions .Visit FirstEnergy online at firstenergycorp.com & follow them on X(formerly known as Twitter) @FirstEnergyCorp .
News Media Contact:
Hannah Catlett – Ohio Edison,
Toledo Edison,
The Illuminating Company,
(440)554 -5346 ;
Todd Meyers – West Penn Power,
Penelec ,
Met -Ed ,
Penn Power,
(724)838 -6650;
Chris Hoenig – JCP&L,
(609)350 -8599