en.Wedoany.com Reported - Duke Energy has restored power to more than 171,000 customers in the Greater Cincinnati area over the past 24 hours. Multiple rounds of severe weather on Tuesday and Wednesday caused downed trees, road closures, and widespread damage to the power system, and the company's crews have been working continuously under difficult conditions to make repairs.
As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, the number of customers whose power has been restored is 145,548 in Ohio and 25,921 in Kentucky, for a total of 171,469. Customers currently still without power number 85,579 in Ohio and 17,010 in Kentucky, for a total of 102,589. Duke Energy serves approximately 765,000 electric customers in Ohio and approximately 155,000 electric customers in Kentucky.
More than 1,000 lineworkers, tree trimmers, damage assessors, and support personnel from outside Ohio and Kentucky have joined or are en route to assist with restoration efforts. Andy Cassidy, Duke Energy's storm director, said crews have made progress under extremely challenging conditions, but there is still much work to be done; these additional personnel will work alongside the company's local employees and contractors to safely restore power to customers as quickly as possible. Cassidy said the company will soon be able to provide estimated restoration times for many customers without power, and that information will continue to be updated as assessments progress.
Beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday, customers can view estimated power restoration times by visiting Duke Energy's Outage Map. Due to the severity of damage in some areas, restoration estimates may not be immediately available for certain outages. Damage assessments are still ongoing, and restoration plans and estimated restoration times will be continuously updated as crews gain access to damaged infrastructure and complete their evaluations.
Next, lineworkers, tree-clearing crews, and damage assessors will continue working around the clock to repair and replace damaged equipment, clear debris, and restore power. Restoration efforts are progressing across the region, with many customers already back online and thousands more expected to be restored soon. Some outages, particularly those involving broken poles, downed wires, or severely damaged equipment, will take longer to repair. Duke Energy's restoration process prioritizes facilities that support public health and safety and strives to restore service to the greatest number of customers as quickly and safely as possible. The company will keep customers informed through outage alerts, the Outage Map, and the mobile app, including updates on estimated restoration times.
Duke Energy reminds customers to stay safe: stay away from downed or sagging power lines and anything they touch, operate generators safely, and follow other post-storm safety precautions. If you see a dangerous situation, call 911 and Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky at 800.543.5599. Please yield to first responders and utility trucks, and treat intersections with non-functioning traffic signals as four-way stops.
Duke Energy Ohio & Kentucky, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, provides electric service to 920,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in a 3,000-square-mile service area in Ohio and Kentucky, and natural gas service to 563,000 customers in a 2,650-square-mile service area. Parent company Duke Energy, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is a Fortune 150 company and one of the largest energy holding companies in the United States. Its electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky, with a combined energy capacity of 55,700 megawatts; its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, and Kentucky. The company is executing an energy modernization strategy, investing in grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and meet growing energy demand.
