Appalachian Power nears completion of storm recovery efforts

WEST VIRGINIA (LOOTPRESS) – Appalachian Power crews continue working tirelessly to restore power across Southwest Virginia and Southern West Virginia following last week’s devastating storm.

As of Friday afternoon, more than 95% of the 282,000 customers who lost power have had their service restored, with just 12,650 still without electricity.

Crews are navigating challenging terrain and widespread damage to complete the remaining repairs.

The storm caused extensive damage, including nearly 200 miles of fallen wires, 1,275 damaged poles, and 400 transformers in need of replacement.

Despite these obstacles, Appalachian Power’s workforce of over 7,360 workers, including contractors and mutual aid teams from 30 states, has restored power to 269,350 customers so far.

About 9,950 homes in Virginia and 2,700 in West Virginia remain without service.

The hardest-hit areas, such as Kingsport, Tenn., and multiple communities in Virginia and West Virginia, are seeing steady progress as teams rebuild the power grid.

Appalachian Power has updated its estimated restoration times (ETRs) for several communities, with many areas expected to regain service by 11 p.m. Friday, October 4.

These areas include Grundy, Lebanon, Gate City, Bluefield, and rural parts of Independence, Va. However, in some isolated cases where damage is more severe, restoration may take longer.

Customers can check the company’s outage map or sign up for alerts to stay informed about their specific outage situation.