AEP Ohio prepares for weekend storm, neighborhoods still damaged from last weekend's wind
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — With strong winds expected Saturday, AEP Ohio has crews ready to respond to downed powerlines and outages.
"Our crews have been preparing their trucks, tools, getting equipment ready, making sure we're ready to respond as the weather rolls through," said Jay Garrett, AEP Ohio's Customer Experience Manager.
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As the winds pick up, some people are still dealing with damage from last weekend's storm.
"It's been a full-time job," said Laura Duffy. "It's been a lot of work."
A big tree fell in Duffy's yard last weekend. Thankfully, it missed her house but took down a fence, landscaping, and a power line.
"We started calling the power company and contractors and tree cutters and had to get the whole crew here between Sunday and Monday," she said.
Duffy's family relied on a generator for four days, and she hopes the situation does not repeat itself this weekend.
"Just looking at the brand new lines that they just worked hard to replace, I'm hoping, for everybody's sake, that it's not as bad as they're predicting," she said.
AEP Ohio called in hundreds of workers from seven states to help people after the storm.
"We'll keep those crews as long as they're needed here, whether it's central Ohio or spreading them across the state," said Garrett.
While waiting for crews to arrive and help, Garrett suggests staying away from wires in case they're live.
"Our crews will come out there. They'll make the scene safe, make the repairs, and get your power restored as quickly as possible," he said.
Garrett said crews will work until the power was back on for everyone.
"We understand there's no convenient time for an outage, and there's a heavy impact on our customers without electricity," he said.
If you lose power during the storm, customers can sign up to receive alerts from AEP Ohio with estimated wait times.
