Power pretty much restored in area

Van Wert independent

The power is finally back on all around the area after a June 29 storm devastated Van Wert and surrounding counties. Now the task is to determine how much damage was done.

Electric utilities and cooperatives report that pretty much all of their customers now have service restored, although some customers had to wait until Monday to get their electricity back online. AEP reported that essentially all of its approximately 650,000 customers affected by storm-related power outages were back in service by 10 p.m. Sunday, while Paulding-Putnam Electric Cooperative (PPEC) said its customers were expected to be back in service by Monday.

PPEC CEO/General Manager George Carter thanked AEP for its cooperation in getting power restored. “AEP has been a valuable partner in this effort,” Carter said. “Their hard work in repairing the transmission system was key to getting the lights back on, and we thank them for their cooperation.”

Work is continuing on clearing debris, however, with crews continuing to clear away trees and other debris left from the storm. Van Wert Safety-Service Director Jay Fleming noted during Monday evening’s City Council meeting that two crews would be working to clear away debris in the city every day until the work is completed. Fleming said crews hope to cover the city once by Friday, and will then begin the process over to ensure no residence was missed.

Fleming also thanked the city’s Wastewater Treatment Department for putting in extra hours to get pumps running at the wastewater treatment plant.

County Engineer Kyle Wendel and Don Taylor, manager of the Ohio Department of Transportation county garage, both said during a recent disaster assessment meeting that their crews would continue to clear debris in the county until the situation was back to normal.

Meanwhile, local disaster officials are now beginning the task of determining the cost of the storm, which Emergency Management Director Rick McCoy indicated would be significant. Cost determination is crucial to applying for federal disaster aid with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), McCoy noted.