The Red Cross is preparing to open an emergency shelter for Toledo Edison customers in South Toledo without power tonight.
The utility had no estimate for when power would return to the 330 customers currently without service, said spokesman Meg Adams. An overnight shelter at St. John’s Jesuit High School, 5901 Airport Hwy., will open within the next two hours, she said in an interview at 10:20 p.m. The American Red Cross of Northwest Ohio is readying the school so those without power could gather, sleep, and stay warm, Ms. Adams said.
About six to eight Red Cross volunteers have been called to help at the shelter, said Jessica Zercher, disaster program manager. Blankets, cots, and food will be provided. The shelter will be open throughout the night, unless power is restored, and the Red Cross will “reassess in the morning,” she said.
The utility had been able to return power to all but about 150 of the 3,000 South Toledo customers who lost service early Friday due the failure of two transformers, but then damage to an underground line caused additional customers to lose power before 10 p.m., Ms. Adams said. That brings the total of those without power to about 330 customers, most are residences.
Crews will be working through the night to make repairs, she said. The overnight temperature is expected to hold steady at about 49 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Weather Service in Cleveland.
Equipment failure of a yet unknown origin shut down two utility transformers in the area of South Reynolds Road and Heatherdowns Boulevard about 1:30 a.m. Friday, “causing major damage to underground wires,” Ms. Adams said.
Power was restored to most of the affected customers by early Saturday, but about 290 remained in the dark throughout the day, including Swan Creek Retirement Village, a continuing-care retirement community at 5916 Cresthaven Lane.
By 7 p.m., Swan Creek's power was back on.
Residents from the nursing home portion of the retirement community Saturday morning were taken to St. Luke’s Hospital to stay until the situation is resolved, said Ann Roller, Swan Creek's executive director. Some in the assisted-living section remained there using power provided by emergency generators, while others went to stay in the company’s nearby office building, which did not lose power. Independent residents in the community’s apartment buildings and individual homes were given the choice of staying home going to a hotel at Swan Creek's expense, she said.
First Published November 29, 2014, 4:41 p.m.
