Power has been restored to 98% of customers affected by the violent thunderstorms that ripped through Northeast Ohio Tuesday, said First Energy President Torrence Hinton during a press conference Monday.
"Power has been restored to nearly 98% of Illuminating Company customers with less than seven thousand remaining without service," he said. "Most of our customers who are currently without service will have their power restored by 11 pm tonight.”
While most people’s power will be restored by Monday evening, Hinton explained that for some power restoration may take a while longer.
“Unfortunately, there may be some unique cases where it's going to take us to get to individual homes to understand what the issue may be and what the repair needs be, but we will do that and we'll get that done," Hinton said. "I just ask for patience as we continue to work through this.”
What can you do if your power is still out?
For anyone lacking access to cold water during these outages, First Energy has partnered with Giant Eagle and community centers to offer free ice and water.
“Customers who remain without power can pick up a bag of ice and two gallons of water free of charge at several Giant Eagle locations across the region while supplies last," Hinton said. "Customers do not need to show their bill or any other documentation to obtain this free water and free ice. In addition, we are also offering ice and water at several community centers within the Cleveland city limits and surrounding communities.”
“Please be patient with us. We are working hard, and we are working tirelessly. We’re still… working sixteen-hour shifts to get [power] restored.”Torrence Hinton, president of First Energy
Hinton also urged people to not approach crew members or work zones and to stay clear of downed electrical lines for everyone’s safety.
Hinton recommends that First Energy customers log into their First Energy accounts or text “STAT” to 544487 to see live updates on when their power is expected to be restored.
Cleveland City Council President Blaine Griffin added that any individuals impacted by the outages can also check the City of Cleveland’s website or call 311 or 211 for additional services.
