Still no power? Here’s when lights could turn on and information to help until then

CLEVELAND (WJW) — It could be another several days before power is restored to some homes and businesses in Northeast Ohio.

FirstEnergy is calling storms that hit Northeast Ohio on Tuesday the most impactful to hit The Illuminating Company service territory in more than 30 years.

On Tuesday evening, heavy downpours and strong winds took down power lines and utility poles across the region. Several tornadoes have been later confirmed with winds exceeding 100 miles per hour.

For FirstEnergy customers

As of Saturday night, FirstEnergy reported about 55,000 Ohio customers are still dealing with power outages. About 37,000 of those outages are in Cuyahoga County.

On Friday, FirstEnergy Ohio President Torrence Hinton said he expected to have power restored to more than 95% of customers by Wednesday, Aug. 14. That’s more than a week after power was knocked out to more than 400,000 people.

In a Saturday morning post to Facebook , The Illuminating Company said, “While restoration efforts are expected to continue through August 14, this is an estimate of when service will be restored to the majority of customers. Many customers will have power restored well before that time. As additional information about necessary repairs is understood, more detailed restoration times will be provided.”

Here’s a breakdown of where most of the outages are located and when the utility estimates service could be restored :

• Ashtabula County : 1,399 outages
  • Estimated restoration: Wednesday, Aug. 14, at 11:30 p.m.
• Cuyahoga County : 37,095 outages
  • Estimated restoration: Wednesday, Aug. 14, at 11:30 p.m.
• Geauga County : 6,843 outages
  • Estimated restoration: Wednesday, Aug. 14, at 11:30 p.m.
• Lake County : 8,422 outages
  • Estimated restoration: Wednesday, Aug. 14, at 11:30 p.m.
• Lorain County : 1,103 outages
  • Estimated restoration: Wednesday, Aug. 14, at 11:30 p.m.

CLICK HERE to see FirstEnergy’s latest estimated restoration times.

The utility noted that if your neighbors’ power has returned but yours has not, that may mean there’s damage to your home’s service line. Those customers should report their outage by calling 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877) or by texting OUT to 544487.

In a weekend post to Facebook, FirstEnergy’s Illuminating Company wrote, “We want to assure you that we did not send any of our crews south to assist with Debby restoration. Thousands of contractors are in town from 12 states – including Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, New York, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama and Florida. We continue to mobilize more crews into our service area as restoration efforts wind down in other parts of our footprint.”

Tuesday’s storms were the most damaging to The Illuminating Company’s service territory since July 1993, when a powerful line of thunderstorms knocked out power for about 300,000 customers.

To put it in perspective, Hurricane Sandy in 2012 affected about 261,000 customers and Hurricane Ike in 2008 affected about 200,000 customers.

“We know this is a difficult time for many of you. We truly thank you for your continued patience and understanding, and for the incredible support for our crews in the field,” wrote the company on Facebook.

For Cleveland Public Power customers

As of Saturday evening, about 2,400 Cleveland Public Power customers were still without service, according to a news release. The company said workers had re-energized about 93% of the 34,000 customers that had been out of service since Tuesday’s storms.

Workers have restored all 70 feeders that were knocked out in Tuesday’s storms. Those are the electrical circuits that energize entire neighborhoods, according to the release. Crews are now focusing on repairing primary wires and loops.

“We do not have an estimate on how long this will take,” reads a Saturday update.

Crews plan to work around the clock through the weekend until all outages are repaired, according to the news release. On Saturday evening, they were concentrated in the Collinwood, Old Brooklyn and Midtown neighborhoods.

“Even if you haven’t seen us, we have been working hard around the clock to restore power,” Commissioner Ammon Danielson said in a video posted Thursday evening to X . “For those of you that are still without power, I understand every hour is too long for your home, for your business, and we are working to help you right now.”

Follow the utility on Instagram and X for the latest updates.

Helpful Links:

Stay safe during a power outage

The Cuyahoga County Office of Emergency Management is aiding municipalities hit by outages.

The office recommends checking in on friends and neighbors, so long as it’s safe to do. Here are some other safety tips from the office:

• Call 911 in emergencies . Emergencies are events that include serious medical issues, any type of fire, life threatening situations, and crimes in progress. Do NOT dial 9-1-1 for non-emergencies, or to check the status of a power outage.

• NEVER touch downed wires or electrical power lines and keep children and pets away from them. If you encounter a downed power line, stay away, and call 9-1-1. If a power line falls on your vehicle, remain inside until first responders arrive.

• Avoid carbon monoxide poisoning . Use generators, camp stoves or charcoal grills outdoors, at least 20 feet away from any building openings like windows, doors or garages. Never use a gas stovetop, oven, grill or dryer to heat your home.

• Stay fire safe. Use flashlights, lanterns and other battery-powered lights. Don’t use gas stoves or candles to heat your home. Always use fireplaces, portable heaters, and wood-burning stoves safely. Don’t leave a vehicle running inside a garage, even if the garage door is left open. If you use your vehicle as a source of power or to stay cool, make sure to run it in a well-ventilated place outside. Only use your generator outside of your home, do not run it inside a home or garage or connect it to your home’s electrical system.

• When in doubt, throw it out. Throw away any refrigerated food that has been exposed to temperatures 40 degrees Fahrenheit or higher for more than 4 hours. Throw away refrigerated food that has an unusual odor, color or texture.

• Replace refrigerated medications if the power is out for a day or more unless the drug’s label says otherwise. Call your doctor or pharmacist if you depend on refrigerated medications that have been at room temperature.

• Unplug appliances, equipment, and electronics to avoid damage from electrical surges. Use surge protection devices.

• Pay attention to water advisories. Boil water or use bottled water from your emergency supply kit, if needed.

• Know how to stay cool in extreme heat, even when the power is out. Check your local municipality’s website for information on cooling centers. Find places with air conditioning that you can go to. Find shade, wet your skin with water, avoid high-energy activities and wear lightweight, light-colored clothing.

• Keep pets safe! Bring pets inside during severe weather. Make sure that pets have identification tags and are secured on a leash when outside.

If you need help with food or other assistance

• Call the United Way Help Center at 211 for resource information for food, clothing, housing, healthcare and more. The Unite Way Help Center is free and available 24 hours a day.

• The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless provides resource information for meal sites, housing, counseling and more. Find more information here .

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