APPALACHIAN POWER

Hundreds are without power in Central and Southwest Virginia as rain and strong winds from Tropical Storm Ophelia continues to roll through the Commonwealth.

Some people are in the dark Friday after storms rolled through Thursday evening.

Appalachian Power has reached an agreement with the State Corporation Commission on a proposed rate increase.

AEP wants boaters, kayakers, tubers, and other recreational users downstream of Claytor and Leesville dams to keep safety top of mind next week.

Power has been restored for most people across Southwest Virginia.

Thousands were without power in Central and Southwest Virginia following the strong winds that rolled through the region Friday night and Saturday morning.

If you woke up in the dark Thursday morning, you're not alone.

Appalachian Power is warning recreational users downstream of Claytor and Leesville damns to be aware of water levels on the New and Roanoke rivers, as they could rise rapidly starting Friday and continue to fluctuate throughout the weekend.

The State Corporation Commission is giving the public a chance to weigh in on a proposed Appalachian Power rate increase.

Strong storms swept across the region, bringing heavy winds, crazy storm clouds, and several warnings and threats.

Hundreds of AEP customers are in the dark Monday morning in Amherst County, according to AEP.

More than 1,300 AEP customers are without power throughout the Commonwealth as heavy rain pummels the state.

As of 4:28 a.m., 3,750 AEP customers in Roanoke County are in the dark this morning, according to Appalachian Power.

Appalachian Power has submitted its triennial rate review application to the Virginia State Corporation Commission, asking to increase rates by about $212 million or 16%.

Heavy winds swept through our region this weekend and now cleanup is underway.

AEP reports more than 20,000 customers without power in Virginia.

Thousands were without power in Central and Southwest Virginia following the strong winds that rolled through the region Friday night and Saturday morning.

Appalachian Power is releasing an update after high winds left more than 58,000 customers without power across its entire service area Saturday evening.

Appalachian Power is providing a storm response update following Friday’s heavy rain and high winds across the region.

Appalachian Power shares some tips and things to keep in mind for severe weather

For every 1,000 kilowatts of power used, there will be an extra $20 on your electric bill.

Appalachian Power said their crews have restored power for 90% of their customers as of Tuesday afternoon.

AEP started this winter storm with over 50,000 customer without power, most of which were in Virginia.

Crews are trying to make sure those who don’t have power, or may lose power, have emergency plans in place.

Thousands are without power in Central and Southwest Virginia as wintry weather continues to roll through the Commonwealth.

Appalachian Power is issuing a warning for those heading downstream of the Claytor and Leesville dams for recreational use.

The few days leading up to Christmas are said to be the busiest during the holiday travel season. That, paired with the threat of cold and ice, could make driving even more difficult.

Your next Appalachian Power bill will likely be higher than it was this time last year or even last month. For the second time, the local utility company has introduced a second rate hike citing inflation as the reason.

Appalachian Power says Virginia customers can expect their monthly electric bills to increase by about $20 starting Nov. 1.

As the weather gets nice and you hit the water with your family or friends, Appalachian Power wants you to keep safety top of mind.

Appalachian Power said that the route is for electrical upgrades and its purpose is to support economic development and increase reliability in the area.

Thousands are without power due to a handful of severe storms that moved through the region on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Appalachian Power released a statement that advised river-goers to air on the side of caution beginning Thursday.

Intense thunderstorms that rolled through Appalachian Power’s three-state service area late Friday afternoon left a little more than 130,000 customers without power.

Thousands are without power after severe storms rolled through the region overnight.

Hundreds are in the dark Tuesday morning in Montgomery County as strong storms move across our area.

After a EF-2 tornado barreled through a neighborhood in Bedford County, dozens of people work to clean up the mess.

Thousands are without power in Virginia due to severe weather.

Ocal “Bubba” Smith said his complaints about unsafe work conditions led to his termination in March 2019.

There are thousands without power due to severe weather in our viewing area.

High winds and waves Friday into Saturday broke the floating boat barrier that keeps boaters away from the Smith Mountain Dam forebay. Appalachian Power is warning boaters to avoid the intake side.

Myriads in Central and Southwest Virginia are in the dark following Wednesday’s storm.

Thousands will start their Sunday in the dark. Appalachian Power repots more than 2,000 customers without service as of 5:45 a.m. Sunday.

Appalachian Power said the main reason for thousands of outages from the last storm was the amount of snowfall.

A neighborhood in Wirtz is just one of many in our corner of the Commonwealth that lost power due to Monday morning’s snowstorm.

Monday morning’s snow has left many without power.

After two years of construction, residents say it’s about time.

A broken power pole in Roanoke County has caused more than 1,000 people to lose power on Wednesday morning.

Some residents across Southwest Virginia are experiencing power outages due to Wednesday’s storms.

Monday’s storms have left many people in Southside without power.

People in Pulaski County are recovering from the aftermath of Monday night’s storms which left many American Electric Power customers with no electricity.

You might think a summer scorcher may be torture on your cooling costs, but Appalachian Power has suggestions to save on your bill.

Around 150 people are without power on Monday morning, according to Appalachian Power.

Starting in July, Appalachian Power customers will see their bill go up by around $11.

If you live in Martinsville, you could experience some power outages this week.

Tuesday afternoon’s powerful storms have left many without power.

Students at William Byrd Middle School and William Byrd High School will not have classes on Friday because of a power outage across both schools.

ROANOKE, Va. – Appalachian Power customers could see an 11% increase in their monthly electric bill starting in July. According to the company, this $11.52 increase in the monthly bill is part of AEP’s effort to recover transmission costs. Last week, the company filed a request with the Virginia State Corporation Commission and asked for a rate increase for the first time since 2017. Officials said the increase would be used for transmission services, fees and new construction. AEP is making investments to improve its transmission infrastructure to improve grid reliability and to prepare for the predicted growth in renewable generation, according to the release.

PULASKI COUNTY, Va. – Winter weather caused widespread damage and power outages across the New River Valley. The icy mess meant downed power lines and downed trees in Pulaski County. The main roads were pretty clear, but side roads were covered with ice, weighing down branches and snapping tree limbs. Like, if you don’t have to be out, II recommend staying home,” said Heather Fizer, who lives in Pulaski County. AEP doesn’t have any estimates yet when power might get restored because ice-covered branches and power lines are still causing outages.

AEP outages as of 5 p.m.Thousands are without power as Southwest and Central Virginia are experiencing wintry weather. Below are the worst outage areas among the 2,724 Appalachian Power customers in Virginia without power:County/City Customer Outages Pulaski County 1,347 Montgomery County 500 Wythe County 162 Roanoke County 148 Giles County 144 Pittsylvania County 94 Carroll County 28 Smyth County 20 Franklin County 41 Grayson County Fewer than 5Here’s a breakdown of the Dominion Energy customers in our region without power:Charlotte County: 44Halifax County: 169Alleghany County: 36Danville officials say that 1,200 customers on Memorial Drive, Lanier Avenue, Park Avenue, Bishop Road and across the river on Piedmont Drive are without power. Here’s a breakdown of the Mecklenburg Electric customers in our region without power:Halifax County: 608Pittsylvania County: 459Here’s a breakdown of the BARC Electric Cooperative customers in our region without power:AdHighland County: 109Here’s a breakdown of the Southside Electric Cooperative customers in our region without power:

Appalachian Power customers out of power on Feb. 16Thousands are still without power across southwest and central Virginia as the region braces for more winter weather Thursday. Below is a breakdown of local counties covered by Appalachian Power and the number of outages they’re experiencing:Bedford: 93Campbell: 437Floyd: 2,163Franklin: 2,887Henry: 1,114Patrick: 208Pittsylvania: 658Roanoke: 626Below is a breakdown of local counties covered by Mecklenburg Electric:Halifax: 2,602Pittsylvania: 2,070Danville Utilities is reporting 4,699 outages.

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. – Thousands are still in the dark in Franklin County after the weekend’s winter weather. “It was really bad,” said Appalachian Power line mechanic James Boyd. Appalachian Power crews are working around the clock, dodging downed trees themselves, to restore power after the weekend’s winter weather. Appalachian Power had about 1,000 workers on the ground, prioritizing critical services like hospitals and fire departments first, then tackling larger outages. “We look at larger outages, then work down from there,” said Appalachian Power Spokesperson Teresa Hall.

Tree down in DanvilleROANOKE, Va. – Saturday’s winter weather continues to cause thousands to lose power. As of 10:15 p.m. Monday, Appalachian Power is reporting 9,011 customers without power in Virginia. Here’s a county-by-county breakdown:2,895 customers in Halifax County1,541 customers in Charlotte County1,138 customers in Pittsylvania County665 customers in Campbell County420 customers in Appomattox CountyAs of 10:20 p.m. Monday, Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative is reporting 5,388 customers without power in our region. Here’s a county-by-county breakdown:2,751 members in Halifax County2,441 members in Pittsylvania County196 members in Charlotte CountyAs of 10:20 p.m. Monday, Southside Electric Cooperative is reporting ‬8,994 customers without power in our region. Here’s a county-by-county breakdown:3,405 members in Charlotte County3,039 members in Campbell County1,469 members in Bedford County866 members in Pittsylvania County215 members in Appomattox CountyAs of 10:24 p.m. Monday, Danville Utilities reports 1,556 customers are without power.

APPOMATTOX COUNTY, Va. – This winter weather could cause power outages across our area. Appalachian Power is concerned about the weekend, but a spokesperson tells 10 News their crews and trucks are ready to go. “Everybody that is an employee or contractor is on alert, which means that they know once they get that notification, they head out,” said Teresa Hall with Appalachian Power. She also says you should have supplies ready at home, including vehicle chargers for your mobile devices, and patience, as it takes crews longer to repair outages because of slippery roads and walkways. Click here for Appalachian Power’s outage map.

The Virginia General Assembly will meet in Special Session starting today. Governor Northam is calling lawmakers back to lengthen this year’s session to 46 days, after Republic lawmakers tried to cut it short. GOP leaders said 30 days should have been enough time after last year’s lengthy special session. The project involved replacing some older equipment and installing additional equipment to increase electric reliability in the region. The Danville-Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce holds its annual membership meeting today.

Thousands of Appalachian Power customers saw power outages on Thursday evening. Hundreds of Appalachian Power customers saw power outages on Thursday evening. Crews are still assessing many of the outages so it’s not clear when power will be restored. Here is a breakdown of customer outages, from Appalachian Power, as of 10:29 p.m.:Pulaski County - 190Grayson County - 127Franklin County - 110Wythe County - 90Roanoke County - 61Montgomery County - 57Roanoke City - 53Giles County - 33Bland County - 22Buchanan - 19Carroll County - 19Galax - 9Floyd County - 6This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Appalachian Power outage map as of 6:10 p.m. on Dec. 16, 2020. With wintry weather conditions affect our region, there are some areas in Southwest Virginia that are experiencing power outages Wednesday. [Snow, ice to cause slippery roads, scattered power outages Wednesday]As of 4:28, more than 5,000 customers were without power. According to Appalachian Power, as of 5:58 p.m. here are the top five localities by outage number. County/City Customer Outages Henry County 1,732 Albemarle County 354 Patrick County 288 Grayson County 178 Floyd County 129The outages started at 12:05 p.m.

ROANOKE, Va. – It was all hands on deck Tuesday as VDOT and Appalachian Power crews prepared for a winter storm to hit Virginia. VDOT had crews out prepping the roads for snow and ice by brining the major interstates and roads. Bond said workers will be on standby to plow any snow and treat icy roads. Appalachian Power is pulling in extra crews from Tennessee and West Virginia in anticipation of the storm. And even, you know, when the roads are slick, cars are sliding into poles and breaking poles,” said Boksa.

You won’t see your rate increase for the next few years. On Tuesday, the State Corporation Commission denied Appalachian Power’s request to increase rates by about $10 a month for a typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity. The company’s authorized rate of return on equity during the three-year review period was 9.42 percent. The Commission also set a new authorized rate of return on equity of 9.2 percent. The Commission also denied a request to increase the residential basic service charge from $7.96 to $14, as well as the implementation of a residential rate design that would have charged higher rates during summer months and lower rates during the winter.

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. – Thousands were without power in Franklin County because of equipment issues, according to Appalachian Power. Two outages are affecting more than 4,000 AEP customers on Tuesday. The first began shortly after 2 p.m., while the other started about an hour later. Both are due to equipment-related issues and were resolved by 4:30 p.m.Click here to see Appalachian Power’s outage map.

LYNCHBURG, Va. – UPDATEPower has been restored Sunday afternoon, according to Appalachian Power. ORIGINAL STORYDue to a power outage, more than 1,400 Appalachian Power customers are impacted in Lynchburg Sunday afternoon. As of 1:44 p.m., Appalachian Power reports that 1,420 customers are without power. The Lynchburg Department of Emergency Services tweeted about a power outage in the Forest Ave and Graves Mill Rd. Any traffic intersections treat as a 4 way stop.

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Appalachian Power reported power outages in the Lynchburg area on Friday night. More than 2,000 customers were without power, according to AEP. It’s not clear what caused the outage. Here is a look at the number of customer outages, as of 10:58 p.m. Friday:

BEDFORD COUNTY, Va. – Smith Mountain Reservoir will exceed its full pond elevation because of heavy rainfall in the Smith Mountain Project’s watershed. Appalachian Power operates the project’s hydroelectric facility and says the normal full pond level is 795 feet, but is expected to exceed that by 4 feet. “We expect to reach this level sometime early Friday morning about the 3 a.m. timeframe,” said George Porter, Appalachian Power spokesperson. Officials are advising property owners to secure any watercrafts. They say if your boat is on a slip, make sure there is plenty of overhead clearance to avoid the boat from hitting the top of the dock.

Thousands of people were without power on Thursday as rain moved through southwest and central Virginia. At one point Thursday morning there were more than 2,800 outages. As of 4:58 p.m., it was down to 376 Virginia customer outages, according to Appalachian Power. Here is a breakdown of local outages, as of 4:58 p.m.:Roanoke County: 142Roanoke City: 92Bedford County: 16Henry County: 13Franklin County: 8Carroll County: 6To see the full map of outages, click here.

Heavy rainfall is expected to raise Smith Mountain Lake two feet above full pond by Thursday afternoon, according to Appalachian Power. Normal full pond at Smith Mountain Lake is 795 feet. According to projections from the National Weather Service, the reservoir is expected to reach 797 feet. Officials say that allowing the reservoir to go above full pond will help prevent flooding further downstream. Appalachian Power is encouraging landowners to remove unsecured items on the lower levels of docks or anything along the shoreline.

Thousands are in the dark as wet weather moves through southwest and central Virginia. According to Appalachian Power, there are 2,657 outages as of 12:30 p.m. Here is a breakdown of the main outages in our area:Grayson County: 304Henry County: 230To see a full map, click here.

GRAYSON COUNTY, Va. – All Grayson County schools are closed on Monday due to local power outages, according to the school district’s website. As of 6 a.m., Appalachian Power is reporting 2,942 people without power and more than 17,000 customers in total without power. To see a list of local outages, click here.

ROANOKE, Va. – Thousands are without power in southwest and central Virginia on Monday morning, according to Appalachian Power. Below is a list of major outages. To see the full list, click here:

ROANOKE, Va. – According to Appalachian Power’s outage map, more than 1,700 customers in Roanoke are without power. Traffic lights are also out at a dozen intersections due to the power outage. Roanoke Police reminds drivers to treat down traffic lights as a stop sign to keep traffic moving safely. TRAFFIC ALERT: Several red lights are out throughout the City of Roanoke. #RPDTrafficAlert pic.twitter.com/HvXrqnakF0 — Roanoke Police (@rpdsafercity) November 1, 2020The power company is aware of the outages and estimate service will be restored to majority of customers by 12:30 p.m.

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Kids at Liberty Christian Academy will be starting the school day two hours later than usual on Friday. According to the school’s Facebook page, the school is operating on a two-hour delay due to a power outage. Officials say the first bell will be at 10:15 a.m.Liberty University is also on a delayed opening and will open campus around 9 a.m. According to the Appalachian Power website, about 200 people have been affected by the outage.

Appalachian Power reports there are about 30 customers in Lynchburg, Bedford and Campbell County without power as of 6:44 p.m. Tuesday. As of 10:45 a.m., Appalachian Power reports there are:1,530 customers without power in Lynchburg516 customers without power in Campbell County111 customers without power in Henry County95 customers without power in Bedford and Bedford CountyThousands are still without power on Tuesday night. As of 4:45 a.m., Appalachian Power reports there are:1,804 customers in Lynchburg without power1,068 customers in Campbell County without power91 customers in Bedford without powerThere are fewer than five outages in Henry County, Patrick County, Carroll County, Wythe County and Pulaski CountyThousands are without power across our area after severe storms rolled through Monday night. As of 11:43 p.m., Appalachian Power reports there are:2,468 customers in Campbell County without power1,698 customers in Lynchburg without power132 customers in Bedford without power121 customers in Patrick County without powerIt’s not clear yet when service will be restored to these customers. In the Bedford area, several trees were down on Sweeney Circle including a massive one on a power line.

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. – Smith Mountain Lake is expected to exceed its full pond elevation by three feet because of heavy rainfall, according to Appalachian Power. Normal full pond level at Smith Mountain Lake is 795 feet. Predictions from the National Weather Service show the reservoir reaching an elevation of 798 feet by Friday morning, which is three feet above full pond. Appalachian Power, the operator of the Smith Mountain Project hydroelectric facility, said allowing the reservoir to exceed full pond will assist in preventing additional flooding downstream. So, allowing water to be stored to go over that full pond prevents flooding downstream,” said Appalachian Power spokesperson George Porter.

Published: May 19, 2020, 3:49 pm Updated: May 19, 2020, 8:41 pmROANOKE, Va. – The outage has been fixed, according to Appalachian Power. More than 1,200 Appalachian Power customers in Roanoke are without power on Tuesday afternoon. The estimated restoration time for these customers is 7:30 p.m., according to Appalachian Power. As of 5:14 p.m., there were 1,227 customers with outages. The outage map includes (but is not limited to) areas from Grandin Village to Wasena to downtown Roanoke.

ROANOKE, Va. – Thousands of people are without power throughout southwest Virginia as severe storms make their way through the region. According to Appalachian Power, more than 19,000 are without power in Virginia. Here is a county-by-county breakdown of who is in the dark in our area:

Published: April 9, 2020, 6:37 am Updated: April 9, 2020, 10:04 amROANOKE, Va. – UPDATE, 10 A.M.Thousands are still without power as of 10 a.m. Thursday. Here is the latest county-by-county breakdown of outages in our region:Patrick Co.: 3,907Henry Co.: 2,245Montgomery Co.: 2,123Pulaski Co.: 625Giles Co.: 548Franklin Co.: 265Floyd Co.: 231Pittsylvania Co.: 210Roanoke City: 119Carroll County: 106Galax: 38ORIGINAL STORYThousands are in the dark Thursday morning as severe weather makes its way through southwest Virginia. According to Appalachian Power, 12,622 households are without power as of 6:30 a.m. Here is a county-by-county breakdown of outages in our region:

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Many people are without power in Lynchburg right now. Appalachian Power reports that 1,341 customers in the Hill City are being affected by an outage on Sunday afternoon. The outage began at 12:41 p.m. and the estimated restoration time is 9 p.m., according to the power company.

ROANOKE, Va. – Appalachian Power is reporting that thousands of customers are without power. Earlier today that number exceeded 3,800. As of 1:13 p.m., Buchanan County has the most outages with 439. Following Buchanan, is Roanoke City, Henry County and Dickenson County with 189, 142 and 87 outages, respectively.

ROCKY MOUNT, Va. – More than 300 people are without power Saturday in Rocky Mount. According to Appalachian Power, the power happened around 4 p.m. Saturday and won’t be restored until early Sunday morning. The cause of the power outage is under investigation.

ROANOKE CO., Va. – Nearly 3,100 customers are without power Saturday night. According to Appalachian Power, the outage happened at 8:10 p.m. and is estimated to be restored at 4:30 a.m.To stay up to date on when power will be restored head follow the Appalachain Power outage map.

ROANOKE, Va. – The Roanoke County Sheriff's Office holds a free child safety seat check today. It’s looking to make safety and operation improvements to a 5-mile stretch from Williamson Road to Route 220 Alternate. There are clinics from 9 a.m. to noon at the Pulaski County and Floyd County Health Departments and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Montgomery County Health Department. You can drop off donations today from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Hurlburt Student Center or the Walmart in Fairlawn. Appalachian Power says it will have more than 300 employees reading to students today.

Appalachian Power is holding informational meetings about upgrading its transmission network in Campbell, Amherst, Appomattox and Nelson counties. Officials tell 10 News the Central Virginia Transmission Reliability project will take several years. This project will help provide reliable power to property owners nearby. This will give us a chance to talk to property owners for the first time. Appalachian Power will hold another meeting Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at Amherst County High School.

ROANOKE, Va. - Thousands are without power as storms and wind move through the region. As of 3:29 p.m. Friday, Appalachian Power is reporting more than 9,000 customers in Virginia have lost power. The highest concentration of outages is as follows:Nelson County - 1,651Franklin County - 1,115Patrick County - 1,070Carroll County - 686Henry County - 396Roanoke County - 394For the full list of outages, check Appalachian Power's website. As a result of the storms and wind on Thursday and Friday, at one point, more than 20,000 Virginians were without power. Copyright 2019 by WSLS 10 - All rights reserved.

ROANOKE, Va. - UPDATEMore than 5,000 Appalachian Power customers are without power as of 9 a.m. Thursday. As of 4:45 a.m., 929 were without power in Roanoke County, 608 are without power in Pulaski County, 370 are without power in Carroll County, 369 are without power in Roanoke City, 164 are without power in Wythe County and 122 are without power. There is no word on what caused these outages, or when the power will be restored. ORIGINAL STORYSeveral areas experienced power outages on Wednesday evening. More than 1,200 Appalachian Power customers in our area were without power as of 10:40 p.m.As of 10:50 p.m., 121 Roanoke County customers were without power, and 219 customers were without power in Roanoke City, according to Appalachian Power.

LYNCHBURG, Va. - You could be dealing with some delays in Downtown Lynchburg starting on Monday. For the next two years, parts of Main Street will close, as contractors and Appalachian Power are working to replace aging waterlines and update sanitary, storm and electrical systems. Business owners said the project will be a pain, but they are glad customers will have access to their doors. That's going to make it clear for people," Rodney Taylor, the owner of Market at Main, said. City leaders are also offering free two-hour parking in some parking decks during the construction.

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. - Strong storms Tuesday afternoon caused widespread debris in Burt Chimney. The strong winds tore one family roof off its porch and about 100 feet into the backyard. There was also downed trees across the area. According to Appalachian Power, about 100 customers are currently without power in the Franklin County area. Copyright 2019 by WSLS 10 - All rights reserved.

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. - As of 3:16 p.m., power was restored to most customers, leaving about 100 without power. For more information, visit the updated AEP outage map. ORIGINAL STORYAround 2,500 customers are without power in Roanoke County, according to Appalachian Power. According to the company's outage map, 2,573 customers are without power in the county. For more information, visit the outage map.

LYNCHBURG, Va. - Appalachian Power is reporting thousands of power outages in Virginia as severe weather rolls through the region. As of 10:31 p.m., here are the five cities/counties with the most outages:Bedford: 1,612 customersLynchburg: 1,351 customersCampbell County: 1,085 customersPulaski County: 719 customersCheck here for the latest outage numbers from Appalachian Power. Copyright 2019 by WSLS 10 - All rights reserved.

ROANOKE, Va. - UPDATEAppalachian Power reports Sunday's outage is due to a failure of the main transformer with the substation that powers the area around Valley View. Power is estimated to be restored around 11 p.m. on Sunday, according to the Appalachian Power website. Power outages are being reported in Roanoke on Sunday. Appalachian Power says there are 1,904 outages in Roanoke. The Valley View Mall and areas surrounding have lost power, as well.