As of this morning, AEP reports over 122,000 customers without power as a result of the winter storm. Many of them are in Franklin County where nearly 25,000 are without electricity. In Patrick County there are over 4,000 and in Henry County there are just under 4,000 without service. An update released by the company last night said they expect to see additional outages throughout the night as ice continued to accumulate on trees, limbs, and company equipment.
The largest outage in Henry County is in the Fieldale area where about 2,000 customers are without power. Much of the county just east of Martinsville is without power affecting nearly 1,800 customers. AEP says they plan to have power restored in both areas by 11 p.m. on Friday.
Dyer’s Store Volunteer Fire Department serves the area just east of the city and they turned the department into a warming shelter for those without power. The building has a large sitting area, a generator, and facilities to take a shower and charge electronics.
A cold front will cross the region today bringing an end to the rain, but introducing gusty northwest winds this afternoon. Cold but dry high pressure will move across the area tonight and Friday. Another storm system will cross the region this weekend with potential for one to two inches of rain. The rain may begin as a period of sleet and freezing rain Saturday, but the main concern will be flooding, with excessive rainfall and snowmelt leading to significant rises on area rivers.
