Mon Power Winter Storm Update

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Mar 06, 2015, 02:39 ET

FAIRMONT, W.Va., March 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Mon Power, a FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) utility, continues its efforts to restore service to customers who remain without power after yesterday's heavy snow.

The wet snow, in addition to heavy rain in the area earlier this week, has slowed the recovery effort, as many roads remain difficult or impossible to travel on, particularly in rural areas, which has hampered efforts to reach areas with significant damage.
Currently, nearly 80,000 customers have been affected since the storm began, with more than 40,000 restored to service. However, new outages continue to occur due to additional tree damage and other weather-related issues. The most up-to-date Mon Power outages numbers are available at www.firstenergycorp.com/outages.
Nearly 400 line workers have been brought into West Virginia to assist Mon Power crews with the restoration effort, including hundreds of workers from other FirstEnergy utilities in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland. In addition, hundreds of tree crews are working closely with line personnel as part of the restoration process. Plans also are underway to deploy additional resources to assist with the restoration effort.
Some of the harder hit areas include parts of Marion, Wood, and Harrison counties.
Given the extent of the severe damage in many locations, the company expects to restore the majority of customers to service by late Sunday.

Customers who are without power are encouraged to call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877) to report their outage or click the "Report Outage" link on www.firstenergycorp.com. Customers should immediately report downed wires to their utility or their local police or fire department. Customers should never go near a downed power line, even if they think it is no longer carrying electricity. Extra caution should be exercised in areas where downed wires may be tangled in downed tree branches or other debris.

For updated information on the company's current outages, FirstEnergy's storm restoration process and tips for staying safe, visit the 24/7 Power Center at www.firstenergycorp.com/outages.

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.