AMELIA, Ohio -- "Extensive damage" to infrastructure such as utility poles forced Duke Energy to push back its timetable for complete restoration of power to homes affected by Wednesday morning's storms, the company said in a news release Thursday.
They estimated around 5,000 Duke customers would be in the dark by the time work crews restore their electricity Friday evening. However, by Friday morning, the Duke Energy outage map showed about 1,500 customers were still without power.
"We certainly want to thank our customers for their patience and support during this restoration work," Duke Energy storm director Howard Fowler said. "This is the type of work that takes considerable manpower and time to complete."
The company predicted that it would be able to completely restore power to its Kentucky customers by 3 p.m. Friday and to its Ohio customers by 9.
Chris Quillin, who lives on Hummingbird Way in Amelia, said he and his wife sent their children to their grandparents' house, where heat and light weren't in limited supply. The pair of them, however, stuck around -- and spent time warming themselves and reading by a candle in their garage.
Their power came back on late Thursday night, and Quillin said he had one immediate priority.
"I feel like getting a hot shower tomorrow," he said. Are you kidding me?”
Not everyone has been as lucky as Quillin. Duke Energy encouraged people to be prepared with blankets or make arrangements to stay somewhere else Thursday night if they're still without power.
To get an update on the power outages, go to Duke Energy's outage map.
