FirstEnergy Prepares for Severe Winds, Offers Safety Tips

Utility company activates incident command to coordinate restoration efforts as strong gusts expected across service area.

Mar. 13, 2026 at 4:21am

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FirstEnergy is closely monitoring a severe windstorm expected to move through its service area in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, and Maryland beginning early Friday and into early Saturday. The company is preparing to respond to any power outages, with winds potentially exceeding 50-75 mph in some areas. FirstEnergy has activated its incident command structure to coordinate restoration work, equipment needs, and field support as conditions change.

Why it matters

High winds can make it harder for crews to restore power and may slow restoration efforts, as bucket trucks cannot be used when wind speeds exceed 40 mph. Fallen trees and blocked roads can also delay crews as they travel to outage locations, impacting the company's ability to quickly restore service.

The details

FirstEnergy is bringing in additional support, including other utilities, outside contractors, forestry personnel, damage assessors, hazard responders, and other support workers, to ensure they have the people and resources needed to respond as soon as outages occur. The company follows a formal restoration process, first clearing hazards, repairing high-voltage lines, restoring power to critical facilities, and then addressing localized issues.

  • The strongest winds are expected Friday afternoon into early evening.
  • Peak gusts ranging from 35-60 mph are also expected to impact other areas served by FirstEnergy.

The players

FirstEnergy

An electric utility company that serves six million customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland, and New York.

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What’s next

FirstEnergy is closely monitoring the weather and will continue to coordinate its restoration efforts as the storm progresses.

The takeaway

This severe weather event highlights the importance of utility companies like FirstEnergy being prepared to respond quickly and safely to power outages caused by high winds, fallen trees, and other storm-related damage in order to restore service to customers as soon as possible.