The Aug. 6 line of storms that took place in Northeast Ohio has left more than 350,000 people in the dark.
As of 3 p.m., Aug. 8, FirstEnergy is not giving an estimated time for restoration.
The aftermath of the storms remains present throughout Lake County communities.
In Willoughby, all crews are still out addressing the storm damage.
According to the city, residents can place tree branches and yard debris on the tree lawn, and crews will continue to collect over the next several days.
The Willoughby Fire Department reported that there are still several streets blocked by trees and power lines. The power company is working diligently to clear each area, officials reported.
Additionally, the fire department is advising people to stay away from locations marked with banner tape or cones as there is likely a power line somewhere near the debris, which could pose a danger to anyone nearby.
The city reported that its safety forces handled hundreds of calls and its service department worked nonstop to clear as many streets as they safely could.
Phones in the city’s dispatch rang incessantly during the height of the storm and the dispatch, as well as clerical staff, performed remarkably and professionally, according to officials.
The city is advising those to be patient as power is being restored. The dispatch center does not have any further updates on the progress being made at this time.
Osborne Park Pool will be closed until further notice.
Meanwhile, in Willoughby Hills, approximately 84 percent of the city is without power, according to FirstEnergy, reiterating there is currently no estimated time for restoration.
The city is advising, “If you don’t need to go out, please stay home.” The service department is currently waiting until power is cut to any downed wires before clearing any trees involved.
“Please be patient as there is a lot of damage and we are working as quickly, and safely as possible,” a city Facebook post reads.
City Hall is closed as there is no power and no phone service.
Yesterday’s storms impacted most of the communities Republic Service covers, as well as their shop, according to Willoughby Hills. They are currently servicing everyone as expected, but delays are to be expected due to tree damage impacting routes, as well as power outages throughout the area due to lines being down.
The city, also, does not have an estimated time for when power will return. Yard waste pick-up must be in bundles and weigh less than 35 pounds.
In Eastlake, the entire service department is out clearing debris and trees. Again, there is currently no time frame as to when power will be restored in the city.
The Eastlake Police Department is aware of multiple traffic lights, power lines and trees down or out of service in the city, and is advising that contact only be made for emergencies.
For those who have a life-threatening emergency, call 911. Non-emergency calls can be sent to 440-951-1400 and option five for dispatch.
Motorists are being advised to use caution when traveling through the city. City Hall and the Senior Center are currently open for those who need to charge electronic devices.
The center is open from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Phone lines are currently down.
According to Wickliffe Mayor Joe Sakacs, the city’s safety personnel are doing their best to clear roads.
“Please be patient and careful,” he said. “Per the fire chief, they are informing the Illuminating Company of all outages. There is no ETA for restoration, currently.”
Sakacs is also advising residents to refrain from calling police and fire unless it’s a true emergency.
“They don’t have any idea when power will be back,” he said. “I will update as I receive more information.”
If Wickliffe is still in the dark tomorrow morning, Sakacs said FirstEnergy will give him more updates.
“They go to the larger outages first then work their way down,” he said.
The Wickliffe Senior Center is open and has power if devices need to be charged.
“Hopefully, this outage doesn’t last much longer,” Sakacs said. “I’m hoping to receive more information on outage restoration.”
Crews in Willowick are also out, diligently working to get things back in order. The Willowick Senior Center is without power at present.
The city reported they’re hoping to get word regarding power and its status from FirstEnergy. Several streets remained closed in the city.
Kirtland Fire Chief Tony Hutton said that the city’s fire department responded to more than 60 calls during and after the storm, “mostly trees and wires down,” as several streets were closed.
Kirtland opened the lobby and council chambers at City Hall, 9301 Chillicothe Road, for charging phones and oxygen units. It also encouraged residents to check in with elderly neighbors.
“We’ve still got pretty extensive damage on the south end of town, near the Chester border,” Hutton said.
He added that residents should treat power lines like they are energized.
“You really don’t know, even if it doesn’t look like it is. A lot of people have generators and power can be back-fed from a generator and energize a line that’s down, so take every line that’s down seriously,” Hutton said.
In Concord Township, Fire Chief Matt Sabo said that fire and service department officials cleaned up downed trees on multiple roadways.
Sabo also reported two incidents of trees falling on homes, including “significant damage” due to roof penetration.
Painesville City officials announced on Wednesday morning that its electric crews had worked 18 straight hours to reactivate all of the electric department’s circuits and restore power to most customers.
The city added that residents can place tree branches and yard debris on their tree lawns near the road. The public works department will pick them up later in the week.
To report lines or trees down or other non-emergent situations, call 440-585-1234. The city is advising that people should consider all down power lines as live and should not be touched.
The Euclid Public Service Department continues cleanup work from yesterday’s storms. City employees worked through the night, cleaning up debris and clearing roads, officials noted, adding there are still roads closed due to downed trees and lines.
The city is working with FirstEnergy to get downed power lines cleared safely before the streets team can tackle downed trees and remove branches.
While power problems persist for thousands of homes, FirstEnergy noted Aug. 7 that power has been restored to more than 230,000 of the approximately 578,000 customers served across the region.
According to officials, Northeast Ohio was the “hardest hit area,” with outages across Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake and Lorain counties.
With help from more than 4,100 additional line workers and field personnel from contractors and mutual assistance organizations, FirstEnergy’s electric company personnel continues to work around the clock in 16-hour shifts to make repairs as quickly and safely as possible, the corporation confirmed in a news release.
Due to the extent of damage, restoration work is expected to continue over the next few days, particularly in Ohio.
Lake County Emergency Management Agency Director Joe Busher said the county continues to monitor fire and police department radio traffic.
“As of now, no local communities have reached out to us for assistance,” he added.
Lake County Sanitary Engineer Randy Rothlisberger noted that the Lake County Utilities Department also had personnel “out all night,” adding outages also affected water and sewer systems.
“All facilities that are without power are running on generators,” he said, “and we have been able to maintain both water and sewer services without interruption.”
For the latest outage information, visit outages-oh.firstenergycorp.com/.
News-Herald Staff Writers Bryson Durst, Chad Felton and Frank Mecham contributed to this article.
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