AEP’s latest estimation for power restoration in Wheeling is 10 p.m. Friday, according to an update posted on its website at 11 a.m.
The company’s outage map had projected that some areas of Wheeling could have power restored as early as Wednesday morning, but those estimates were adjusted on the map.
The number of outages in Ohio and Marshall counties is now 9,406, down from a high of more than 16,000 Tuesday morning. According to AEP, contractors have come from as far away as Alabama to help restore power both in the Northern Panhandle and around Charleston and Huntington, which also are suffering widespread outages.
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The number of people without power in Ohio and Marshall counties, according to AEP’s outage map is down to around 10,000 as of Wednesday morning, down from a high of more than 16,000 Tuesday morning after a pair of derechos plowed through the area. The map also shows that power could be restored for some in Ohio County as early as today, while others might have to wait until Friday and even others still don’t have a firm time frame for restoration.
According to the AEP map, a swath of 1,253 customer outages along National Road around Wheeling Park and Triadelphia Middle School could be restored by 11 a.m. Wednesday. Other patches of outages — including 329 in the neighborhood around Woodsdale Elementary and 736 outages around the Fulton area — have an estimated restoration time of 10 p.m. Other areas, such as the Springdale area, still do not have an estimated restoration time.
To stay updated on possible restoration times in your neighborhood, use the AEP outage map at appalachianpower.com/outages
AEP spokesperson Joelle Moray said Tuesday the company has called in crews from out of the area to help with power restoration. She estimated that 300 to 500 people making up 100 to 120 crews will be out, including tree trimmers and other forestry employees.
Essential services like hospitals, emergency services and water pumping stations will go back online first, Moray said. AEP assessors will be out inspecting areas to decide which areas are safe enough to restore power. Larger outage areas likely will be restored first.
The City of Wheeling announced Wednesday morning that city offices remain closed due to the power outage and that hearings at the City of Wheeling Municipal Court scheduled for Wednesday have been postponed for two weeks.