Free ice, water available for those without electricity

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Those without electric power can receive one bag of ice and up to 2 gallons of bottled water free of charge at all Mahoning County Giant Eagle stores through noon today, Ohio Edison has announced.

About 1,400 Ohio Edison customers on the East Side of Youngstown and in Coitsville and parts of Hubbard lost power Friday evening when lightning struck a transformer, the utility said. Power was restored to almost all customers in the affected area by 8 p.m. Saturday.

Ohio Edison is a subsidiary of the Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp.

The utility also offered tips for customers:

Call the electric company or the local police or fire department to report any downed power lines, but don’t touch them or try to remove trees or limbs from them because they may still be carrying electricity.

Call 1-888-LIGHTSS to report power outages.

Avoid opening the refrigerator or freezer. A full freezer can keep food frozen for up to three days if it’s kept closed.

Unplug major appliances until after power has been restored, but keep one light connected so you’ll know when power is restored.