High winds cut power to thousands in Ohio
Storms that raked Ohio with winds gusting up to nearly 60 mph left thousands without power across Ohio on Sunday.
AEP Ohio reports that nearly 80,000 customers were without power in central and eastern Ohio in late afternoon because of downed trees and power lines. That included more than 25,000 customers in Columbus and surrounding suburbs, and about 6,000 in Licking County.
South Central Power Co., which serves areas south and east of Pickerington, reported at around 2:30 p.m. that nearly 11,000 customers were without power. That number had dropped to about 9,300 a half-hour later.
Damage from winds is seen across the state
A peak gust of 62 mph was recorded at 12:22 p.m. at the Ohio State University Airport. There was a 59 mph gust recorded at John Glenn Columbus International Airport at 1:08 p.m. as trees and power lines were downed throughout the Columbus area.
The National Weather Service in Wilmington said the highest recorded gust in its service area was at the Dayton Airport, which had a 66 mph gust at 11:46 a.m.
A tractor-trailer was blown over on a Hardin County road and a barn was blown apart in Logan County, according to the National Weather Service.
The gusts in northeastern Ohio toppled trees across the region, and emergency services in the Akron area responded to multiple fires and vehicle crashes.
Semis hauling longer loads, as well as horse trailers and broad-sided RVS, were asked not to travel Interstate 80.
A wind advisory remains in effect for Ohio, and caution is recommended when driving.
Monday was expected to be sunny, with a high near 49 and a west wind from 9 to 15 mph.