FirstEnergy February Wind Storm Update

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Feb 26, 2019, 14:50 ET

AKRON, Ohio, Feb. 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Corp.'s (NYSE: FE) utilities continue work to complete service restoration for customers who lost power after recent heavy, sustained winds across the company's service areas in six states.

All 10 of the company's utilities were impacted by this wind storm. Almost 940,000 customers lost service system-wide, and about 50,000 remain without service.

Our restoration process begins with work that can quickly restore the greatest numbers of customers to service. Large outages are generally restored sooner than single outages. As we work through the storm, larger percentages of our remaining outages will take more crew time to restore fewer customers. Due to the widespread damage caused by this wind storm, we have thousands of remaining outages that will require many hours of crew work to restore single customers.

Utility Summaries

The Illuminating Company: More than 126,000 customers lost service, and all but 6,000 have been restored. Majority of remaining customers are expected to be restored by 1 p.m. Wednesday. Nearly 800 workers are in the field making repairs, clearing tree damage, assessing damage and making sure public safety hazards are addressed.

Ohio Edison: More than 165,000 customers were left without service after the wind storm, and all but 3,500 have been restored to service. Complete restoration should be achieved by 4 p.m. Thursday. More than 700 workers are in the field repairing damage and addressing safety concerns and tree clearing.

Penn Power: More than 30,000 customers were impacted by this storm, and all but 1,300 have been restored. Work is expected to be completed for remaining customers by Thursday.

West Penn Power: More than 144,000 customers lost service during this storm, and less than 18,000 remain without service. More than 1,000 workers are on the ground making repairs and clearing hazards. Some West Penn Power areas were hit particularly hard, and some customers may be without service into Saturday.

Penelec: More than 118,000 customers lost service during the storm, and all but 1,800 have been restored. More than 750 workers are on the ground in the service area, making repairs and clearing tree debris. The majority of customers will be restored by midnight tonight.

Met-Ed: More than 42,000 customers were left without service after the storm, with all but 900 restored. More than 600 workers are in the field making repairs today, and most customers will be restored by midnight tonight.

Mon Power: About 96,000 customers were impacted by the storm, and almost 7,100 remain out of service. Nearly 800 workers are in the field making repairs and restoring service, and complete restoration is expected by 11 p.m. tomorrow.

Potomac Edison: More than 60,000 customers were impacted by storm, and 8,200 remain without service. About 750 workers are on the ground working to complete the restoration efforts by midnight Thursday in Maryland and midnight Friday in West Virginia.

Jersey Central Power & Light: More than 134,000 customers were impacted by the storm and about 4,500 remain without service. About 1,300 workers continue repairs and restoration work. Most customers who remain without power will have service restored by midnight tonight. Customers in the hardest hit areas of Monmouth, Hunterdon and parts of Warren counties will have power restored by midnight Wednesday.

More Information

For updated information on power outages, FirstEnergy's storm restoration process and tips for staying safe, visit the 24/7 Power Center at www.firstenergycorp.com/outages.

Customers who are without power are encouraged to call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877) to report their outage or click the "Report Outage" link on www.firstenergycorp.com. Customers should immediately report downed wires to their utility or their local police or fire department. Customers should never go near a downed power line, even if they think it is no longer carrying electricity. Extra caution should be exercised in areas where downed wires may be tangled in downed tree branches or other debris.

Connect with FirstEnergy companies online at www.firstenergycorp.com, on Twitter at @OhioEdison, @IlluminatingCo, @ToledoEdison, @Penn_Power, @W_Penn_Power, @MonPowerWV, @Penelec, or @PotomacEdison, or on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/OhioEdison, www.Facebook.com/ToledoEdison, www.Facebook.com/IlluminatingCo, www.Facebook.com/PennPower, www.Facebook.com/WestPennPower, www.facebook.com/PenelecElectric, www.facebook.com/PotomacEdison, www.facebook.com/MonPowerWV.