Storm and Outage Details

Situation      

Appalachian Power restored electric service to approximately 10,000 customers overnight despite the significant challenges of power restoration following an ice storm. Winter Storm Blair caused widespread infrastructure damage, hazardous road conditions, fallen debris and repeat repairs as ice in some areas re-freezes, thaws and causes additional outages.

More mutual assistance crews from neighboring utilities, including Dominion Power, will join the effort today, bringing the dedicated workforce to nearly 6,500.

As of 9 a.m. Wednesday, approximately 26,000 customers remain without electric service.   

Outages   

• Of the 26,000 customers without power, 11,300 are in Virginia, 14,700 are in West Virginia. Areas with the heaviest damage remaining include Bedford, Campbell Franklin counties in Virginia and Lincoln, Clay, Mercer, Summers and Roane counties in West Virginia.   
• There are 1,264 locations across the company’s service area in need of repairs.  

Restoration Estimates   

The estimated times of restoration (ETRs) are when Appalachian Power expects to have 90% or more customers restored. Approximate outage counts and ETRs are below (please note that not all outages are reflected in the charts below):   

Storm Restoration Efforts       

• Workers have found 815 spans of downed wire, 151 broken poles, 90 damaged cross arms and 40 transformers in need of maintenance.  
• The company’s Storm Operations Team continues working with local and state officials to assist in restoration efforts.   
• Line mechanic crews from AEP Ohio, Indiana & Michigan Power, Dominion Power, Alabama, North Carolina and South Carolina are working alongside Appalachian Power employees and contractors.      
• Appalachian Power’s generation facilities follow specific protocols and procedures to combat the expected winter weather and ensure safe and reliable operations across our entire generation fleet.       

Hydro Operations    

• With cold temperatures expected to impact our territory throughout the week, PJM has notified Appalachian Power it may need to increase power generation at its hydroelectric plants to maintain the reliability of the regional electric grid.   
• Recreational users downstream of Claytor and Leesville dams should be aware that water levels on the New and Roanoke rivers could rise rapidly starting Wednesday, Jan.8, and continue to fluctuate throughout the week.   
• Visit the Smith Mountain Project's website for more information.   

Weather      

• Extreme cold temperatures can cause line overload problems when trying to restore a large number of customers. In many cases, we must restore large outages in smaller groups, letting the electric load settle before restoring additional customers. Customers with outages can assist by turning off large electric users, such as laundry equipment and ovens, until one hour after power has been restored.        

How Appalachian Power Restores Power      

• In a major power outage, priority is given to restoring circuits that deliver electricity to essential public safety facilities such as hospitals, 911 call centers, water treatment plants, and police and fire stations.      
• Next, Appalachian Power will perform repairs to restore electric service to the largest pockets of customers in the shortest amount of time. Sometimes, a single repair can restore service to hundreds or thousands of customers. Appalachian Power will then move on to repair portions of circuits that restore service to smaller pockets of customers. These repairs may restore service to dozens of customers when completed.      
• In the final phase, power is restored to individual homes and businesses. This phase of the restoration process can be time-consuming after a significant storm because there are so many of these kinds of repairs.      

Safety   

• Stay away from sparking equipment or downed lines or anything they may touch. This goes for children and pets, too.   
• Never remove debris that's within 10 feet of a downed power line.   
• Unplug major appliances to protect them when power comes back on.   
• Leave a light switch turned on so you know when power is restored.   
• Refuel heaters, lamps and generators outside, and away from any flames or sparks. Wipe up fuel spills immediately.   
• Let us know if you're using a generator – this protects you and our line workers as they work to restore power.   
• Never operate lanterns, heaters or fuel-fired stoves without proper ventilation.   
• Never burn charcoal indoors. It releases poisonous carbon monoxide.   

Click here for additional safety tips and here for ways to save energy during low temperatures.       

For More Information      

• Customers can get specific information about the outages affecting their accounts via text message and/or email by subscribing to Appalachian Power outage alerts. To sign up, please visit AppalachianPower.com/Alerts.       
• A snapshot view of current outages is available anytime by visiting Appalachian Power's Outage Map.       

Next Update: Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 – 2 p.m.