What’s Happening
Winter Storm Fern continues to blanket APCo’s footprint with heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain. The massive storm system entered the company’s service area early Jan. 25 and is expected to leave the region tonight. As of 5:30 p.m., 45,000 homes and businesses are without power. APCo’s Storm Response Team anticipates that number will grow as wet snow, sleet and ice accumulation damages the grid.
About 3,000 field workers are dedicated to restoring power to affected communities. Hundreds more mutual assistance crews are traveling to APCo’s aid tonight, with more arriving tomorrow. Whether traveling to the service area or working in it today, field personnel are combating fallen trees and limbs, piled snow, frigid temperatures and slippery surfaces. These hazardous conditions disrupt travel and delay power restoration work. Wind gusts up to 50 mph are expected tomorrow, Jan. 26, which will further delay restoration efforts.
APCo’s real-time Outage Map lists more than 120 warming centers open to the public across its footprint.
How APCo Restores Power
- During major outages, APCo prioritizes restoring circuits that deliver electricity to essential public safety facilities, such as hospitals, 911 call centers, water treatment plants and police and fire stations.
- Next, crews focus on repairing lines and equipment that restore power to the largest groups of customers. Sometimes, a single repair can bring service back to hundreds or thousands of people. Crews then address repairs that restore power to smaller groups, often dozens of customers at a time.
- Finally, power is restored to individual homes and businesses. This phase can take time after a major storm due to the high number of individual repairs needed.
Winter Storm Safety Reminders from AppalachianPower.com/Safety
- Stay away from downed lines and anything they may be touching, including tree limbs and fences. Call 911 or APCo at 800-956-4237 immediately to report any safety concerns.
- If you rely on electricity for medical equipment, have an emergency plan and review it regularly.
- Extreme cold can overload lines as power is restored to large numbers of customers. Often, we must restore outages in smaller groups to allow the electric load to settle. Customers can help by turning off large electric appliances (like heaters and water heaters) for at least 15 minutes after power returns.
- Report an outage or safety hazard using APCo’s mobile app.
- When using a generator, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Never plug a generator into a wall outlet. Run it outdoors, away from windows and doors, and ensure working carbon monoxide detectors are installed.
Staying Connected
APCo’s Storm Response Team encourages customers to enroll in Outage Alerts now. Outage Alerts notify customers of power outages, their estimated restoration times (ETRs) and any applicable updates. Those already enrolled should confirm their contact information is up to date using APCo’s website or mobile app.
Use APCo’s real-time Outage Map for outage locations and ETRs, and follow APCo on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for updates.
Next Update
11 a.m. ET Monday, Jan. 26
