Crews Working 24/7 to Restore Power to More Than 385,000 FirstEnergy Customers Following Severe Thunderstorms

Yahoo

30-04-2025

Public urged to stay far away from downed or low-hanging wires
GREENSBURG, Pa., April 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Power has been restored to about 156,000 of the approximately 385,000 FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) customers who lost service due to severe storms that swept across the company's service territory on Tuesday. FirstEnergy's electric company personnel will continue to work around the clock, aided by additional line workers and support personnel from outside the company, to make repairs as quickly and safely as possible.
The powerful storm system brought heavy rain and strong winds exceeding 70 mph in parts of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The western and central portions of Pennsylvania were the hardest hit areas, with widespread tree-related damage that caused numerous broken poles and crossarms and downed power lines. Due to the extent of damage, restoration work is expected to continue over the next few days, particularly in Pennsylvania.
Customers should assume all downed or low-hanging power lines are energized and dangerous. Stay at least 30 feet away and use extra caution where downed lines are tangled in trees or other debris. Report downed lines ASAP by calling 911.
More than 2,000 lineworkers, hazard responders, forestry crews, safety and other support personnel from FirstEnergy sister companies, external contractors and mutual aid organizations are assisting the company's Pennsylvania and West Virginia crews with storm response. In total, more than 3,400 internal and external workers are involved in the restoration effort, and additional support may be secured as necessary. Though downed trees and road closures can slow progress, crews will continue to work around the clock to safely make repairs and ensure service to all customers has been restored.
Current outage updates as of 10 a.m. today include:
West Penn Power: Approximately 214,000 FirstEnergy Pennsylvania customers in the West Penn Power service area lost power due to the storm, and 143,000 remain without service.
Penelec: Approximately 113,000 FirstEnergy Pennsylvania customers in the Penelec service area lost power due to the storm, and 48,000 remain without service.
Penn Power: Approximately 15,600 FirstEnergy Pennsylvania customers in the Penn Power service area lost power due to the storm, and 3,800 remain without service.
Mon Power: Approximately 34,000 customers lost power due to the storm, and 16,500 remain without service. The hardest hit area was Weirton, where 65% of the company's customers were affected. About 12,000 Weirton-area customers remain without power.
Estimated restoration times (ETRs) will be established today as crews continue assessing damage and making repairs. Many customers will have power restored sooner than the ETR depending on the level of damage in their area.
ETRs will be provided as they become available on our outage map. Customers can also text STAT to 544487 to receive an update for their reported outage. Customers who are not currently signed up for text message updates must first text REG to 544487.
FirstEnergy's Restoration Process: FirstEnergy follows a formal restoration process after severe weather, focusing on repairs that will address the largest number of customers before moving on to more isolated issues. The restoration effort typically begins with transmission and substation facilities and then prioritizes critical facilities like hospitals, communications and emergency response agencies.
Additionally, hundreds of isolated issues affect individual or small numbers of customers. These are the most time-consuming repairs because they require our crews to go to each individual location to make the repairs. Many of the isolated issues include repairs to "service drops," which are wires attached to each home to deliver electricity from the neighborhood power line. These wires are often damaged by fallen trees and large branches.
For updated information on the company's current outages, storm restoration process and tips for staying safe, visit FirstEnergy's 24/7 Power Center at firstenergycorp.com/outages. To learn more about navigating the recently updated map, please visit bit.ly/FEoutagemapupdates.
FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Visit FirstEnergy online at firstenergycorp.com and follow FirstEnergy and its electric companies on X @FirstEnergyCorp, @ToledoEdison, @IlluminatingCo, @OhioEdison, @MonPowerWV, @JCP_L, @Penn_Power, @Penelec, @Met_Ed, @PotomacEdison, @W_Penn_Power.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.