160,000 Without Power in Ohio and Kentucky as Storms Persist

The massive outage, which initially impacted 180,000 homes and businesses, remains concentrated in southwest Ohio with 134,000 affected accounts, while Northern Kentucky accounts for another 26,000. Andy Cassidy, the company’s storm director, noted that the destruction across the region has far exceeded initial forecasts, forcing repair teams to rebuild entire sections of the electrical grid rather than simply performing routine maintenance.

Restoration is further complicated by safety protocols that prevent lineworkers from operating bucket trucks when wind speeds exceed 30 mph. While crews utilize self-healing technology to reroute power remotely, the utility warns residents to prepare for extended outages. Officials are prioritizing public health facilities and critical infrastructure before moving to residential areas, urging the public to treat darkened intersections as four-way stops and maintain distance from all downed power lines.