COLUMBUS – Power companies restored electricity to thousands of homes and businesses Saturday after strong storms caused outages across parts of central Ohio.
Data from South Central Power Company shows that outages peaked at about 10,600 customers in Pickaway County and 3,400 customers in Fairfield County Saturday afternoon.
Utility crews worked for several hours to repair damaged lines and restore service.
By later in the afternoon, outages dropped to about 1,600 customers in Pickaway County and 455 customers in Fairfield County, according to the company’s outage map.
In total, the utility restored power to nearly 12,000 customers after the storms moved through the area.
Remaining Outages by County
As of Saturday afternoon, some customers were still without electricity:
- Pickaway County — about 1,600 customers
- Fairfield County — about 455 customers
- Highland County — about 167 customers
- Hocking County — about 59 customers
- Ross County — about 7 customers
Crews continued working to restore power across the region.
Pickerington Schools Sent Students Home Early
The storms also affected schools in the Pickerington Local School District.
Officials dismissed students early Saturday because some school buildings lost electricity in Fairfield County.
School officials did not say when full power would return to all facilities.
Severe Weather Across Central Ohio
Forecasters had already warned about possible severe storms Saturday.
The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center placed much of central Ohio under a Slight Risk (Level 2 of 5) for severe weather.
During the storms, tornado warnings were issued for parts of:
- Franklin County
- Fairfield County
- Pickaway County
- Madison County
- Licking County
Strong winds during severe storms often knock down trees or branches, which can damage power lines and cause outages.
Power Status in Columbus
The utility that serves most of the Columbus area, AEP Ohio, reported no major outages in Franklin County Saturday afternoon.
Residents can check current power conditions on the utilities’ outage maps.
Sources: South Central Power Company, National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center, AEP Ohio
Last Updated: March 8, 2026
This report is based on information released by utility companies and weather officials. Outage numbers may change as repair work continues.