Duke Energy says the roughly 20,000 Greater Cincinnati customers still without electricity should have power back by 11:59 p.m. Aug. 14, ending a three-day emergency that knocked out service to more than 260,000 customers after a derecho tore through the region.
The utility reported late Aug. 13, that crews had restored 85 percent of all outages, according to WLWT. More than 2,000 lineworkers, tree trimmers and damage assessors are deployed across the service area, including crews brought in from Indiana and the Carolinas.
Many of those workers staged at the former Tri-County Mall site in Springdale, where well over 100 bucket trucks filled the parking lot Thursday morning, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. Duke, along with contractors Wright, Flagger Force and Asplundh, used the site as a base of operations, as we reported Aug. 13.
"This was the highest count of outages and dispersion of damage I've seen across this region in my time at Duke," spokesman John Juech told the Enquirer on Wednesday, Aug. 12, as crews worked through the night.
The storms began Aug. 11, when a derecho tracked from Iowa through Indiana into Greater Cincinnati. Tornado warnings were issued for Sharonville and Springdale around 3 p.m. that day. At the peak, more than 180,000 Duke customers in Ohio and Kentucky lost service, roughly 20 percent of the utility's combined customer base in those states.
Hamilton County bore the heaviest damage. By Wednesday morning, 59,269 county customers remained without power, the highest total in the region, according to Fox 19. The National Weather Service also flagged Mill Creek near the Walmart Supercenter in Evendale as a flood risk that day as additional storms moved through.
SR-131 in Woodlawn remained closed in both directions near Woodward Road after storm debris blocked the roadway. ODOT Cincinnati announced the closure around 2:55 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12. No reopening time has been confirmed.
What residents should know
Duke Energy customers can report outages by calling 1-800-543-5599, texting OUT to 57801 or using the Duke Energy app. To receive status updates, text REG to 57801.
A Red Cross emergency shelter is open at the Hamilton County Hartwell Community Center, 8275 Vine St., Cincinnati. Residents who lost food due to outages and receive SNAP benefits can apply for replacement benefits by submitting JFS Form 07222 to their county JFS office by Friday, Aug. 21.
Hamilton County residents can drop off storm yard debris at designated ReSource drop-off sites listed at hamiltoncountyresource.org.
Duke Energy warns that generators should never be operated indoors or in an attached garage because of carbon monoxide poisoning risk. Place generators outdoors in a well-ventilated, dry area away from air intakes.
