Appalachian Power is working to restore electricity to all West Virginia customers affected by the recent ice storm as of Tuesday evening.
At the storm’s peak, more than 40,000 customers lost power, with roughly 3,900 linemen deployed for restoration. By Tuesday afternoon, the number of outages dropped to below 4,000.
Extreme cold and strong winds have made repair efforts especially challenging in the hardest-hit areas. From South Hills in Charleston to Julian in Boone County, electrical infrastructure sustained significant damage. Multiple crews are required to safely access downed lines and damaged equipment.
The cold and icy road conditions have slowed restoration and created hazardous driving conditions, though interstates remained in relatively good shape Tuesday. Snowfall could worsen the situation as temperatures remain frigid.
The January storm has caused billions of dollars in damages and economic losses, affecting some 200 million people. Frigid temperatures are expected to persist into next week.