An update on Valley power restoration

YOUNGSTOWN — Crews out restoring power after winds from Hurricane Ike left 188,000 Mahoning and Shenango valley customers in the dark early today are making headway, said Paul Harkey, Ohio Edison/Penn Power spokesman.

As of 3 p.m., roughly 142,000 were still without electricity, 41,700 of those in Mahoning County; in the Warren-Kinsman area, it’s 20,255; for Mercer, 20,300; New Castle, 12,600; Salem 20,000; Alliance, 5,000; and Cranberry, 22,000.

Harkey said crew are not shorthanded in this area because of power outages down south caused by hurricanes. He said sister companies are sending workers from Toledo and other areas in Ohio and Pennsylvania. He added that crews are on their way back from Texas.

Harkey said more than 1 million customers were affected by the high winds that toppled power lines overnight and half of those have had their power restored. He expects all customers to have their electricity restored by Thursday. Forestry crews had to be brought in first to remove trees and limbs before wires could be restrung, Harkey said.