Situation
A second round of high winds and torrential rain moved through Appalachian Power Company’s (APCo) service territory, causing additional power outages. Currently, roughly 17,200 customers are without electric service, including approximately 3,000 in Virginia and 14,200 in West Virginia.
The storm system continues to bring dangerous conditions, including saturated ground, downed trees and limbs, and strong wind gusts that may create additional outages throughout the evening.
APCo requested nearly 2,000 workers from Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina to support restoration efforts. These workers are joining APCo crews to restore service as safely and quickly as conditions allow.
Weather Conditions
High winds and heavy rain this afternoon and early evening are causing additional outages. This weather pattern is forecast to continue throughout the night, which may lead to further damage and additional outages.
Strong wind gusts can create dangerous conditions for our crews. Wind speeds above 30 mph make elevated bucket truck work unsafe, which may slow restoration in some areas.
Outages
Outages increased as a second round of severe weather moved through APCo’s service territory, with high wind gusts bringing down trees and large limbs damaging power lines and equipment.
Hardest-hit areas include Charleston, Logan, Walgrove and Williamson in West Virginia, and Lynchburg in Virginia.
Currently, about 17,200 customers are without electric service, including 3,000 in Virginia and 14,200 in West Virginia.
Storm Response Efforts
APCo crews are fully committed to the storm response. Crews have restored power to more than 31,000 customers and will continue their restoration efforts throughout the evening. Nearly 2,000 additional workers have joined Appalachian Power crews.
Restoration Estimates
A second round of high winds and heavy rain has caused additional damage, extending restoration times in the hardest-hit areas. The estimated restoration time for the majority of customers is Wednesday, August 12, at 11 p.m.; however, most customers are expected to have power restored before that time as crews continue working safely throughout the evening.
As outages are assessed, customers can refer to AppalachianPower.com/OutageMap to view real-time outage updates and estimated times of restoration.
Safety
Stay away from downed power lines and anything they may contact, such as tree limbs or fences. Immediately report safety hazards by calling 911 or APCo at 1-800-956-4237.
Additional safety tips are available at AppalachianPower.com/Safety.
For More Information
If a customer experiences a power outage, APCo’s Storm Response Team encourages them to report it at AppalachianPower.com/Outages.
APCo will notify customers with information about the outages affecting their account(s) via text message and/or email with Outage Alerts. Customers can verify their enrollment and contact information at AppalachianPower.com/Alerts.
Next Update: Tuesday, Aug. 11, 9:00 p.m.