South Franklin News

AEP Ohio is continuing to monitor the potential for a major winter storm throughout our area, including extremely cold temperatures, snow, and winds over 50 mph expected Thursday night through the weekend. For snow and road condition updates from the Bexley Service Department, scroll to the bottom of this article.

Quick Links:

• Power Outage & Restoration FAQ: Click Here
• AEP Ohio Outage Map: Click Here
• To Report a Power Outage: Click Here
• Check Your Outage Status (Account Login Required): Click Here
• A safety hazard is a condition that poses an immediate risk to the public. To report a safety hazard, call AEP Ohio’s Customer Operations Center available 24 hours at (800) 672-2231.

Severe Winter Weather: What You Need to Know from AEP Ohio

AEP Ohio crews are at the ready, preparing equipment and supplies — and are encouraging customers to be prepared for the possibility of outages, too. Crews will work to restore any power outages as quickly and safely as possible — however, road conditions, lingering wind gusts and extreme wind chills could delay some restoration efforts. Updates will be provided throughout the weather event at AEPOhio.com and other communication channels.

Before the Storm

• Decide now what you’ll do if there’s an extended power outage. Check with those who are elderly or have medical conditions to ensure they have a plan in place.
• Charge phones, laptops and other electronic devices.
• Prepare an emergency kit with essential items.

Stay Connected

• Sign up for text alerts: AEPOhio.com/Alerts
• Download the AEP Ohio mobile app: AEPOhio.com/App
• Visit AEPOhio.com throughout the duration of the event, including AEPOhio.com/OutageMap
• Follow AEP Ohio on Facebook and Twitter

Important Safety Reminders

• Remember, all downed lines are dangerous — they carry an electric current that can cause serious or even fatal injuries. Stay away, stay alive. If you encounter a fallen wire, keep yourself and others away, and call 911 and AEP Ohio immediately.
• If you use a portable or RV generator, do not plug the generator into your circuit box. Portable generators “backfeed” electricity up the line and risk the lives of repair workers and the public. Follow the manufacturers’ instructions carefully, and plug essential appliances directly into the generator. Find important details here.

Vehicle accidents are often a cause of power outages, especially with snow and ice-covered roads. Stay safe and avoid driving until road conditions are favorable.

To learn more, visit aepohio.com.

Snow/Roads Update – Dec. 23 @ 8:00 am:

City crews have been out since 11:00 pm last night salting and then plowing. Due to the low temperatures and low traffic, the salt has not been able to melt the snow effectively, so roadways continue to be covered with snow despite having been plowed and salted (especially at lower temperatures salt requires traffic to help drive it into the snow). If you need to drive, please use extreme caution. Our crews will continue to salt and plow; please be patient as we wait for the salt to take hold. A huge shout out to our crews for getting out early and staying on top of the roads!

Original source can be found here.