Over 13,000 Lose Power in Cleveland Blackout

Crews work to restore electricity on city's west side after major outage

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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More than 13,000 FirstEnergy customers across Cleveland lost power on Wednesday afternoon, plunging big stretches of the city's west side into an unexpected blackout. Crews are working to isolate the fault and restore service, with an initial estimate of 7 p.m. for many customers, though timelines could shift as repairs continue.

Why it matters

Power outages can have significant impacts on residents and businesses, disrupting daily life and causing economic losses. This blackout affects a large number of customers in the Cleveland area, raising concerns about the reliability of the local power grid and FirstEnergy's response.

The details

The outage impacted around 13,366 FirstEnergy customers in Cuyahoga County, with the heaviest impacts reported on Cleveland's west side and nearby suburbs like Lakewood and Rocky River. Residents said their lights flickered before going out completely, and restoration times bounced around as crews worked to prioritize repairs across multiple blocks.

  • The outage began on Wednesday afternoon.
  • FirstEnergy initially estimated restoration by 7 p.m. the same day, though timelines could shift.

The players

FirstEnergy

The utility company responsible for providing electricity to the affected areas in Cleveland.

Public Utilities Commission of Ohio

The state regulatory agency that has previously issued notices to FirstEnergy over repeat power outages in the region.

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What’s next

Crews will continue working to isolate the fault and restore power to all affected customers. Regulators may also review FirstEnergy's response and reliability efforts in the region.

The takeaway

This blackout highlights the ongoing challenges with power grid reliability in parts of Cleveland, raising questions about FirstEnergy's infrastructure investments and the oversight role of state regulators in ensuring consistent and resilient electricity service for residents and businesses.