High winds swept across Stark County throughout the day on March 13, leaving an estimated 17,000-plus electric customers without power into the evening.
That means nearly 10% of the 178,916 electrical customers in Stark had lost power as of 8:40 p.m.
The number without power rose by nearly 5,000 since four hours earlier in the day.
The number of Ohio Edison customers affected by power outages declined from 7,884 to 5,870. But the number of American Electric Power customers in Stark County without electricity ballooned from 4,467 to 11,733, according to utility outage reporting sites on March 13.
At 4:40 p.m., the outage maps showed a significant impact on western Stark County, northern Stark County and the Alliance area.
But crews quickly restored power to much of Ohio Edison’s territory in Stark County. The number of customers without electricity shrunk from 1,098 to 277 in Lawrence Township from 4:40 p.m. to 8:40 p.m.
Over the four hours, the numbers of affected Ohio Edison customers went: from 903 customers to 537 in Tuscarawas Township; from 637 customers to 121 in Canal Fulton; from 1,007 customers to 69 in Jackson Township; from 665 to 541 in Massillon; from 1,275 to 102 in Washington Township and from 438 to 411 in Alliance, according to Ohio Edison. The number of Lake Township homes and businesses without power went up from 549 to 1,514.
In AEP’s territory, in Canton, at least 2,471 customers were without electricity at 4:40 p.m., according to AEP’s outage map That number appeared to be at around 900 at 8:40 p.m. While 834 in the Louisville area were without power at 4:40 p.m. But Louisville and Nimishillen Township appeared to have 280 customers without power as of 8:40 p.m.
North Canton appeared to have about 455 AEP customers without electricity at 8:40 p.m.
It was not clear when power would be restored.
On Ohio Edison’s outage map website it said, “We are aware severe weather is causing power outages in your area. Estimated restoration times will be available once crews assess damage. More specific updates about your outage restoration will be provided as details become available. We appreciate your patience.”
Wind gusts at Akron-Canton Airport reached 62 miles per hour at 6 p.m., said Alex Kennedy, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Cleveland.
He said a low-pressure system crossing the Great Lakes 13 pulling a cold front into area caused the high-speed winds. On Lake Erie, wind gusts reached 85 mph at Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland. Sustained winds throughout Northeast Ohio were about 30 to 35 mph with temperatures peaking in the mid-50s and dropping to the mid-40s with wind chills in the high 30s.
Winds will calm to 10 to 15 mph by Saturday morning with highs in the mid-40s, Kennedy said.
In Facebook groups, residents posted pictures from around the county showing power lines and trees down as well as damages to signs and buildings.
Tim Warstler, director of the Stark County Emergency Management Agency, said with utility crews not hampered by subzero temperatures, they should restore power quickly as the winds die down going into March 14.
“Give them a few hours,” he said. “You’ll see it significantly improve.”
A Stark County sheriff’s dispatcher said power lines and trees had gone down around the county since noon.
Jackson Township Fire Battalion Chief Matt Casper said his department responded to a few downed power lines in the township.
The Stark Area Regional Authority announced on Facebook at 2:17 p.m. that it had closed its Alliance Transit Center and halted bus ticket sales due to a power outage. The ticket machines there were out of service.
(This story will be updated as new information becomes available.)
Reach Robert at robert.wang@cantonrep.com.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Thousands lose power in Stark County amid high winds, severe weather
Reporting by Robert Wang, Canton Repository / The Repository
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