CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Strong winds moving through the region behind a cold front have knocked out power to more than 1,000 customers across south central Ohio as gusty conditions continue through the day.
The National Weather Service reported southwest winds of 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph persisting through the morning and afternoon before gradually diminishing toward the evening.
As of this reporting, South Central Power reported Outage over 1,000 customers without power across multiple counties. The electric provider said Ross County alone had 610 customers affected, followed by Hocking County with 139 and Fayette County with 88.
AEP Ohio reported over 3,000 customers without power across its service region.
Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative also reported outages impacting approximately 702 customers.
Officials say the outages are primarily wind-related as strong gusts continue to impact power lines and infrastructure across the Scioto Valley and surrounding areas. Crews are working to restore service as conditions allow.
Forecasters expect winds to weaken later in the day as the cold front moves east, which could help restoration efforts and reduce the likelihood of additional outages.