FirstEnergy Crews Ready for More Severe Weather as Restoration from Windstorm Continues
FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) crews continue storm restoration after high winds affected more than 800,000 customers across OH, PA, WV and MD.
Sentiment and the balance of points
Rhea-AI Sentiment reads the wording of the document, how positive or negative its language is on a 1 to 5 scale. The balance of points shown with the takes weighs what the document actually discloses, so the two can disagree, for example when a trial that missed its main goal is described in upbeat language.
Rhea-AI Summary
FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) crews continue storm restoration after high winds affected more than 800,000 customers across OH, PA, WV and MD. Teams have restored power to over 96% of impacted customers, replaced nearly 600 poles, 225,000 feet of wire and 1,300 crossarms. More storms with 50–65 mph gusts are expected March 16, 2026, and crews remain staged with contractors to support 24/7 restoration.
The company detailed its prioritized restoration steps, safety tips for customers and multiple outage reporting channels.
Positive
- Restored >96% of affected customers
- Replaced nearly 600 broken utility poles
- Deployed 3,400 outside workers plus 7,000 employees
- Repaired more than 225,000 feet of wire
Negative
- More severe storms expected today with 50–65 mph wind gusts
- Initial outage scale exceeded 800,000 customers affected
- Sustained high winds may delay bucket-truck restoration
Details
News Market Reaction – FE
On Mar 16, the day this news came out, FE closed 1.17% above the previous close.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus for the Mar 16 session.
Key Figures
- Customers impacted
- 800,000 customers
- Affected by powerful winds since Friday across four states
- Restoration progress
- More than 96%
- Share of impacted customers with power already restored
- Broken poles replaced
- Nearly 600 poles
- Extensive repairs from recent windstorm
- Wire replaced
- More than 225,000 feet
- Distribution and transmission repairs after storm damage
- Crossarms and braces
- 1,300 units
- Utility pole crossarms and braces replaced
- Mutual aid workers
- More than 3,400
- Outside line, tree and support personnel assisting FE crews
- FirstEnergy workers
- More than 7,000
- Internal workforce engaged in 24/7 restoration
- Transmission network
- Approximately 24,000 miles
- Transmission lines operated by FE subsidiaries
Historical Context
-
PJM-selected reliability projects with about $950M in planned transmission investment.
-
Appointment of VP, Transmission Finance overseeing filings, rates and joint ventures.
-
$10,000 grant to support first responder training equipment at a community college.
-
$30M Van Reed 69‑kV project to improve reliability for 6,000+ customers.
-
Completion of $6.6M substation enhancing reliability for about 2,400 customers.
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Key Terms
downed power lines technical
transmission lines technical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Since Friday, powerful winds have affected more than 800,000 customers across
FirstEnergy is closely watching two additional rounds of storms expected this afternoon and tonight. These storms could bring wind gusts of 50 to 65 miles per hour, 1 to 2 inches of rain and the potential for isolated tornadoes, particularly in
Crews remain fully engaged as today's weather approaches. More than 3,400 outside line workers, tree crews, hazard responders and other support personnel have joined more than 7,000 FirstEnergy workers to support 24/7 restoration efforts. As new outages occur, focus will remain on restoring power first to customers who have been without service the longest.
How We Restore Power After a Storm
FirstEnergy follows a formal restoration process to restore service as quickly as safely possible:
- Clear hazards – like downed power lines, trees and blocked roads
- Repair high-voltage lines that provide electricity to local lines
- Restore power to critical public service facilities
- Address outages affecting the most customers
- Fix localized issues and restore power to individual customers
Sustained high winds impact our ability to work in the air and can delay restoration efforts until crews can safely use bucket trucks. Fallen trees and blocked roads may also delay access to outage locations.
Customer Safety and Preparedness Tips
FirstEnergy encourages customers to stay weather‑aware, have a plan in place and put safety first as storms move through the area:
- Stay 30 feet away from downed power lines – call 911 immediately
- Secure loose outdoor items including garbage cans, furniture and trampolines
- Charge phones and essential devices
- Keep flashlights, batteries and a radio ready
- Store water if you rely on a well pump
- Have no‑cook foods on hand
- Steer clear of trees and utility poles in high winds
How to Report an Outage
If you lose power during the storm, please report your outage:
- Call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877)
- Text OUT to LIGHTS (544487)
- Online at firstenergycorp.com/outages
Get Outage Updates
- Text REG to 544487 to sign up for outage text alerts. Once signed up, text STAT to 544487 to get the latest update for your home
- Log into your online account
- View our outage maps
FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving six million customers in
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/firstenergy-crews-ready-for-more-severe-weather-as-restoration-from-windstorm-continues-302715104.html
SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.
FAQ
AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.