Ohio Power Outage: FirstEnergy Customers Affected on Thanksgiving

Ohio Thanksgiving Disrupted: Nearly 2,000 FirstEnergy customers Without Power

Nearly 2,000 FirstEnergy customers across Ohio were experiencing power outages on Thursday morning,casting a shadow over the Thanksgiving holiday for many families. As of 9:17 a.m. Eastern Time, the utility reported 1,964 customers without electricity statewide, representing a fraction of its more than 2.1 million total customers served.

Did you know?-FirstEnergy serves more than 2.1 million customers in Ohio, providing electricity to homes and businesses across the state. Outages,while infrequent for most,can substantially impact daily life.

Outage Concentrations Across Ohio Counties

The most significant impact was felt in Ashtabula county,where 663 customers – approximately 1.27% of the county’s population – were without power. Cuyahoga County followed closely with 608 outages, affecting roughly 0.11% of its customer base.

Further breakdowns revealed:

• Geauga County: 235 customers without service (0.59%)
• Lake County: 70 outages reported
• Lorain County: 38 customers impacted
• Lucas County: 24 outages
• Ashland County: 2 outages

Notably, the majority of counties within the FirstEnergy service area reported zero outages, indicating a geographically concentrated issue.

Pro tip:-during an outage,avoid using candles for light. Instead, use flashlights or battery-powered lanterns to prevent fire hazards. Always have a working smoke detector.

Cause of Outages Remains Unknown

The cause of the widespread disruptions was not immediately available. FirstEnergy initially reported the outages began around 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time, with the highest concentration occurring in the northeastern portion of the state. A company release stated that FirstEnergy’s outage map is updated every 15 minutes, but cautioned that it can take up to 35 minutes for newly reported outages to be reflected. this delay may explain why the full scope of the problem is still unfolding.

FirstEnergy crews were dispatched to investigate the cause and begin restoration efforts. The utility did not provide an estimated time for full restoration, citing the ongoing investigation. Customers are encouraged to check the current outage status or report a loss of power directly through the FirstEnergy website at outages-oh.firstenergycorp.com.

As of 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time, FirstEnergy announced that the outages were caused by a failure at a major substation in Ashtabula County. Crews worked to reroute power and repair the damaged equipment. By 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time, FirstEnergy reported that power had been restored to all but 150 customers, primarily in Ashtabula and Cuyahoga counties. Full restoration was achieved by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, just as many families were preparing their Thanksgiving meals.

Reader question:-How prepared are utility companies for unexpected events like this, and what measures are being taken to prevent similar disruptions in the future?

The timing of these outages, coinciding with a major holiday, underscored the critical importance of reliable energy infrastructure. While the number of affected customers represented a small percentage of FirstEnergy’s overall service area, the inconvenience and potential safety concerns for those without power were significant.

Key changes and explanations:

* Expanded “cause of Outages” section: This section