Line crews from the Ohio public power communities of Piqua, Tipp City, Versailles, and Wapakoneta traveled to the City of Celina, Ohio, to provide mutual aid assistance after a tornado hit Celina and knocked out power to city residents, Ohio-based AMP reported on March 15.
AMP, a joint action agency, on March 15 said that following a line of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes that swept across many AMP member communities on the evening of March 14, line crews from Piqua, Tipp City, Versailles, and Wapakoneta traveled to Celina to provide mutual aid assistance. Piqua, Tipp City, Versailles, Wapakoneta and Celina are AMP members.
These crews also provided four bucket trucks and two diggers. The powerful storm knocked out eight transmission lines in Celina; while power was quickly restored to a large portion of the system, repairs were still underway as of the afternoon of Friday, March 15.
The Village of Lakeview, which is also an AMP member, was directly struck by a large tornado, resulting in severe damage to the community and its electric system, AMP noted.
Search-and-rescue efforts were still underway Friday afternoon, and the village was working to assess overall damage before restoration efforts can begin. Early estimates indicate that at least 100 poles are damaged. Restoration is expected to take multiple days, AMP said.
AMP on March 15 said that it was working with the Village of Lakeview and all mutual aid participants to determine the availability of crews and material resources for restoration efforts.
The Village of Waynesfield also lost power as a result of damage to the transmission feed from AES Ohio. AES is assessing the overall damage and working on restoration of the downed feed that is impacting the community.
“Our thoughts go out to all those affected by this event, especially those who have suffered the loss of a loved one,” AMP said.
The City of Tipp City’s electric department in early March assisted the Village of Yellow Springs, Ohio, after strong storms passed through the village. Crews worked throughout the day to help restore power to the village's electric customers, Tipp City noted on March 4.
