Thousands without power across Erie and Crawford counties as high winds sweep across the region

Erie: As those strong winds whip through the area, a lot of folks are dealing with power outages. Reports are coming in about downed wires and trees, which are causing some serious traffic issues and disruptions.

As of early this morning, First Energy says over 5,600 customers in Erie County are without power, which is about 4.5% of the area. In Crawford County, around 2,000 customers are also in the dark, making up nearly 7%. Even in Ohio, places like Ashtabula are feeling the impact, with about 3,500 customers affected.

The outages seem to be hitting areas like McKean, Waterford, Union City, Pymatuning, and Oil City the hardest. By the time it was just before 1 a.m., the outages had spread to Girard and Platea too.

With so many people affected, there’s no word yet on when power might be restored. Crews are out there working to figure out what’s going on throughout the night.

If you want to keep track of the outages, you can check the latest updates for Pennsylvania and Ohio online. And remember, if you see any downed wires, don’t go near them. It’s really important to stay safe and not try to move any trees or branches that are touching power lines.

This story is still developing, so stay tuned for more updates!