More than 13,000 FirstEnergy customers across Cleveland lost power Wednesday afternoon, plunging big stretches of the city’s west side into an unexpected blackout while crews scrambled to track down the problem. The utility initially floated a restoration estimate of about 7 p.m. the same day, though timelines varied from neighborhood to neighborhood.
According to FirstEnergy, the company’s online outage tracker showed roughly 13,366 outages in Cuyahoga County as workers fanned out to inspect equipment and restore service. Technicians set an initial maximum restoration window of 7 p.m. Wednesday for many customers, with the caveat that those estimates could shift as repairs unfolded.
Where outages hit hardest
Most reports, along with the outage map, pointed to some of the heaviest impacts on Cleveland’s west side and nearby suburbs, especially Lakewood and Rocky River, with scattered pockets elsewhere in the city, according to News 5 Cleveland. Residents in several neighborhoods said their lights flickered before going out completely, and many watched estimated restoration times bounce around as crews reprioritized circuits.
How to report and stay safe
FirstEnergy asks customers to report outages by texting “OUT” to 544487, calling 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877) or using its online outage map. The utility also urges people to stay well away from any downed power lines and to alert the company if anyone in the home relies on medical equipment, per FirstEnergy. Local emergency services reminded residents not to walk or drive into active work zones and to report hazardous situations to 911.
Why this keeps happening
Events like Wednesday’s outage feed a longer-running fight over reliability in parts of Cleveland. FirstEnergy has pushed for changes to state restoration rules and has drawn criticism from lawmakers and local leaders. Regulators with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio have previously issued notices over repeat outages, and officials say the utility has promised targeted fixes and new investments, including funding substation upgrades after repeated problems in nearby Lakewood, according to Ohio News…