WEST VIRGINIA (LOOTPRESS) – Appalachian Power crews continue working to restore service following Thursday’s severe storms, with more than 1,200 customers still without electricity across West Virginia as of 9:15 a.m. Friday.
Company officials said approximately 5,300 customers remain without power across its service territory, with 179 locations requiring repairs. In West Virginia, the largest concentrations of outages are in Raleigh County, with about 420 customers affected, and Mason County, with about 206.
Appalachian Power said about 1,650 employees and business partners are involved in restoration efforts, including mutual assistance crews from Alabama, Kentucky and Ohio that have been deployed to areas with the most significant damage.
Crews continue to face challenges from strong wind gusts, which can temporarily halt bucket truck operations when winds exceed 30 mph for safety reasons. Additional storms are also forecast through the weekend, raising the possibility of more outages.
The company expects to restore power to more than 90% of customers affected by Thursday’s storms by 11 p.m. Friday, though restoration in the hardest-hit areas could continue into the weekend.
Customers can check their estimated restoration times through Appalachian Power’s outage map and are encouraged to report outages if they have not already done so.
The company also reminds residents to stay away from downed power lines and anything they may come into contact with, including tree limbs and fences, and to report hazardous situations by calling 911 or Appalachian Power.
