The extreme winds on Friday, March 13 did extensive damage to our system and knocked out transmission to three of our substations.
Our crews were out working all day Friday as the winds continued and outage numbers were on the rise. By the time conditions improved, we had over 10,000 members out of power.
Due to the severity and widespread nature of the damage, we anticipate a multi-day restoration effort, and we are working to secure additional crews to help us recover safely and efficiently.
Please follow us on Facebook for updates as our restoration efforts progress. We are also publishing the updates at the bottom of this page, but Facebook will be the most timely source.
Check out this article from Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives to see how the storm impacted co-ops across Ohio.
Important Safety Reminders:
These reminders are specific to common reports from this storm. Please view our Storm and Outage Safety Page for more safety information.
Generators: Backfeed and Lineworker Safety
Prevent Backfeed – keep our crews safe!
Improper generator setup can be fatal for utility workers and tree crews trying to restore your service.
Backfeed occurs when electricity flows from your home back onto utility lines. This can energize “dead” lines and put workers at risk of electrocution.
Never plug a portable generator directly into a wall outlet. Use a professionally installed transfer switch or plug appliances directly into the outlets on the generator itself.
Partial Power
What is “Partial Power”?
Most homes run on a 120/240-volt system delivered via two “hot” wires and one neutral wire.
- If one “hot” wire is damaged (by a fallen limb or a tripped transformer fuse), you lose roughly half of your 120V circuits.
- Large appliances (HVAC, water heaters, ovens) require both wires to provide 240V. If one is out, these appliances will fail to start or, worse, try to “backfeed” power through other circuits, which can cause damage.
Immediate Safety Steps
- Report the Issue: Even if you have some power, it is important that you report the partial outage right away.
- Turn off large 240V appliances: Switch off your HVAC system, electric water heater, and clothes dryer at the breaker box. Operating these with only partial power can burn out their motors or compressors.
- Unplug sensitive electronics: Computers, TVs, and smart appliances can be damaged by the voltage fluctuations associated with a partial outage.
- Check your main breaker: Flip your main house breaker all the way to “OFF” and then back to “ON” once. If the issue persists, the problem needs further investigation.
Downed Powerlines
Steer clear!
Always assume that any downed wire is energized and dangerous.
- Stay at least 35 feet away (about the length of a school bus).
- Never try to move a line or remove debris from a line yourself – it takes significant training and special equipment to do so safely.
- If a wire falls on your vehicle while you are inside, stay put and call 911. If it is too dangerous to stay in the vehicle due to a fire or other hazard, secure any loose articles of clothing and jump clear, ensuring that you do not touch the car and the ground at the same time. Then, hop or shuffle away as far as you are able, making sure both feet are touching the ground at the same time.
Outage Tracking and Reporting
- Use our Outage Map to track outages and restoration progress.
- You can report outages or online through your Consolidated SmartHub account, or by calling our 24-hour outage hotline: 866-567-2753 (please call using the phone number linked to your account – our computer system will automatically register your outage). Learn more about outage reporting.
Outage Updates
Outage Update: 3/16 – 9:30 a.m.
The feeder outage impacting the Olive Green area has been restored. Our crews are continuing to repair damage from Friday to restore the remaining outages.
Outage Update: 3/16 – 6:45 a.m. – New Outages
This morning, we lost a feeder that serves in and around the Olive Green Area. We have a team member on their way to assess the situation, and we will update this post with more information when we have it.
Crews are ready for another day of hard work repairing damage and continuing to restore power for our members who have been out since Friday. We know this has been a long time without power for some of you, and extended outages cause a lot of stress.
Thank you for hanging in there with us as we do everything we can to restore your power safely and efficiently. We will provide more updates throughout the day.
Outage Update: 3/15 – 9:45 p.m. – Final Update of the Day
We are down to 268 members out of power with 88 unique outages. One of our mutual aid crews from Indiana had to head home today due to wind damage in their territory, but we are expecting a couple more to join us tomorrow.
There is still a lot of damage to repair, and we are hoping that tonight’s wind does not add damage to our system. We will continue updating you tomorrow as we progress, and as we have a firmer idea of when work will be complete.
Thank you for all of the kind words you have sent our way throughout these challenging circumstances – your support and understanding mean so much to our team. We understand that this is an incredibly difficult situation for our members who have been without power since Friday, and our teams have been doing everything we can to repair damage and restore power safely and efficiently.
Outage Update: 3/15 – 6:20 p.m.
We temporarily bumped back up to about 2,100 members out of power due to some voltage issues. We had to shut off three feeders to ensure the safe delivery of power, but we are in the process of getting things switched back and restored. Full restoration for these outages may take up to 1-2 hours.
UPDATE: All three feeders have been restored.
Our crews have not stopped working to repair damage causing the outages from Friday’s winds.
If you have damage to report, please do so using our 24/7 number – 800-421-5863, option 0. If you believe the damage is a danger yourself or others, please report it to 911 first. We cannot process damage reports or account information over Facebook; please use our approved outage and damage reporting methods to ensure that your report is properly registered in our system.
Outage Update: 3/15 – 3:30 p.m.
Our teams’ hard work has brought us down from about 2,500 members out this morning to about 595 members out now. We cannot provide estimates for individual areas at this time, but we can say that restoration will definitely continue through tomorrow.
Here are some of the factors currently impacting our restoration timeline:
– Though our total number of members out has decreased significantly, the number of unique outages is still quite high at 142 due to the widespread damage. This means that each outage we restore will bring power back for a small number members. You can see this demonstrated if you zoom in on our outage map: https://outagewatch.consolidated.coop/
– Though each outage impacts fewer members, many still involve severe damage that takes time to restore safely.
– Our area is under a wind advisory again through tomorrow morning, which could lead to more damage.
Thank you for staying with us, we know this is a very difficult, stressful situation and we are doing everything we can to restore power safely and efficiently. We will continue to update you here as we progress.
Outage Update: 3/15 – 7:30 a.m.
Our crews got back to work early this morning, and they are continuing to progress through repairs. We will update you here when we have more information to provide, but we do still anticipate that some restoration efforts will continue into Monday.
When we are recovering from extreme damage like this, progress can seem to slow down over time, but please rest assured that our crews are continuing to work just as hard as they have been. We typically start with outages that are impacting the most members, so power comes back on in larger sections. As we progress, though individual outages still have similar amounts of damage to repair, each one impacts fewer members.
If you have questions about your fiber service, please contact our support team at 800-421-5863 (option 4). They will be able to provide more information about restoration in your area.
Outage Update: 3/14, 10:00 p.m. – Final Update of the Day
We are down to about 2,500 members out, and some members will come back on yet this evening. Transmission has now been restored to all substations, but we still have a lot of repair and restoration work ahead of us.
Our crews have to head in for the night, but they will be back at it at 6 a.m. We do not have estimated restoration times for specific areas at this time, but we do anticipate that some restoration efforts will stretch into Monday, especially as weather reports are calling for more high winds tomorrow. We will provide more information as work continues tomorrow.
We understand that extended outages can cause significant stress, and we will continue doing everything we can to restore your power safely and efficiently. Thank you for your continued patience and understanding.
Outage Update: 3/14, 6:20 p.m.
We currently have about 153 outages and 3,000 members out.
We are still dealing with a transmission outage in Marengo, but we have crews working to restore a feeder in the area that will allow us to reroute power to more members.
Outages will continue into tomorrow, but we are working hard and hope to have a better idea of how long it will take to reach full restoration later tonight. We know that extended outages are very stressful, and we are doing everything we can to restore your power safely and efficiently.
For fiber service, some damage occured in the northern portion of our territory that cannot be repaired until electric is finished. If you have questions, please call 800-421-5863 and press option 4 to speak with our fiber support team.
We have heard from some members who are receiving notice that their power is restored when it is still out. If this happens to you, it typically means that we restored a larger outage in the area, but your home was impacted by a different, smaller outage. If you do not see your home reflected on our outage map, please report it again to ensure the outage is in our system.
Outage Update: 3/14, 3:15 p.m.
Our crews have been working tirelessly today, and electric outages are now down to about 3,300 members. We still have a lot of work to do, but we are making progress.
There is still so much damage to address that we are not able to offer accurate estimates for full restoration, but we will provide updates whenever we have information to share. We understand that this is a very difficult, stressful situation and we are doing everything we can to get your power back on safely and efficiently.
Outage Update: 3/14, 10 a.m.
Electric outages have gone down from over 8,800 members when crews set out this morning to about 6,300 members now. We still have transmission outages to two of our substations, and a lot more damage like what you see in the pictures below, but our crews are working hard to repair and restore power safely and efficiently.
We have received one assisting crew from Mid-Ohio Co-op already, and we have two more crews heading our way from Indiana. Due to the extent of the damage, we do not have restoration estimates at this time, but we will provide more information when we can.
Please remember to steer clear of downed power lines, and NEVER try to remove debris yourself.
Outage Update: 3/14, 6:50 a.m.
Crews loaded up and headed out around 6:30 this morning. We have two additional crews heading our way, and we are awaiting word on more to help us continue repairs and restoration. We will provide more updates as we progress today.
Important Reminder: If you see a downed powerline, stay away! Even if the line seems de-energized, they can become re-energized as we restore power. Never approach a downed powerline, and never try to clear debris from a line yourself.
Outage Update: 3/13, 10 p.m.
After a long day of challenging, hazardous work, our crews have to head in tonight for their safety. We will resume restoration work in the morning.
Thank you for your patience through this difficult situation. Please stay safe, look out for your neighbors, and keep our crews in your thoughts. We will update again when we have more information tomorrow morning.
Outage Update: 3/13, 8 p.m.
Electric and fiber crews are out working hard to assess damage, make repairs, and restore service.
The winds did extensive damage to our system today that will take time to fully repair and restore, and we currently have transmission outages at three of our substations.
We have requested assistance from additional crews, but outages will be extended for many of our members.
We do not have restoration estimates at this time, but we will update you here when we do.
Thank you for your patience and understanding. We are doing everything we can to get your service back on safely and efficiently.
