FirstEnergy readies crews for incoming Ohio storm surge

Ohio Edison, Toledo Edison, and The Illuminating Company are currently shifting to high-alert status to address potential power line failures and fallen trees. Torrence Hinton, president of FirstEnergy Ohio, stated that crews are positioned to begin restoration efforts immediately following the storm’s impact. The utility is also emphasizing public safety, urging residents to maintain a 30-foot buffer from downed lines and secure outdoor furniture that could become airborne during high-wind events.

Beyond immediate storm response, the company continues its long-term infrastructure hardening, which includes aggressive vegetation management and system-wide grid upgrades. Residents are encouraged to report outages by calling 1-888-544-4877 or using the company’s text-based alert system by texting OUT to 544487. Real-time restoration progress will be available through the FirstEnergy online outage map.