Wind gusts upwards of 60 mph throughout Northeast Ohio caused power outages Friday afternoon and evening for FirstEnergy customers across the region, including for more than 10,000 Akron residents and more than 34,000 in Summit County.

(Check the outage map here.)

By Saturday at 11:30 a.m., about 3,000 Akron customers were waiting for the lights to come on. Across Summit County, 13,750 customers were still without power, along with 104,000 FirstEnergy customers in Ohio.

In Coventry Township, 40% of residents (2,824) were without power Saturday, along with 20% of Barberton residents (2,445).

The National Weather Service issued a High Wind Warning through 8 p.m. Friday, with downed power lines, outages and downed trees expected.

Across the state, American Electric Power also reported thousands without power.

The outages strongly affected several areas in and around Akron, including Tallmadge, the Highland Square, Northwest Akron and Ellet neighborhoods and Barberton. An area of Merriman Hills still had between 500 and 1500 customers without power Saturday morning.

In some communities such as Mogadore, New Franklin and Clinton, more than half of the FirstEnergy customers were without power.

What should you do if your power is out? 

First, check to see if the outage only affects you or if your neighbors’ power is out as well. 

Report the outage online, text “OUT” to 544487, or call 1-888-544-4877.

If you see a downed power line, call 911 immediately and avoid the area. 

Keep your refrigerator and freezer doors closed so food can stay insulated for as long as possible. Unplug all other appliances – including televisions and computers – to safeguard them and ease the initial load when your power returns.

During thunderstorm outages, do not take a shower or bath as the current from a lightning strike can travel through the water pipes.

How can you prepare for future outages? 

Keeping a few things on hand for power outages can help you be more prepared and keep you safer:

  • Car charger to charge devices 
  • Flashlight(s)
  • Portable radio
  • Extra batteries
  • Extra blankets or sleeping bags
  • First-aid kit
  • Emergency supply of bottled water
  • Supply of food that does not require cooking

Editor-in-Chief (she/her)
Zake has deep roots in Northeast Ohio journalism. She was the managing editor for multimedia and special projects at the Akron Beacon Journal, where she began work as a staff photographer in 1986. Over a 20-year career, Zake worked in a variety of roles across departments that all help inform her current role as Signal Akron's editor in chief. Most recently, she was a journalism professor and student media adviser at Kent State University, where she worked with the next generation of journalists to understand public policy, environmental reporting, data and solutions reporting. Among her accomplishments was the launch of the Kent State NewsLab, an experiential and collaborative news commons that connects student reporters with outside professional partners.