WINTER STORM APPROACHING; HERE’S HOW TO PREPARE

GAHANNA, Ohio, Jan., 31, 2011– AEP Ohio is advising customers to be prepared for the possibility of extended power outages depending on the severity of the winter storm predicted to hit the northern and north western areas of the company’s service territory over the next couple of days. Customers should consider taking action now to protect themselves and their families, including arranging for alternate shelter should the need arise.
            “There is nothing more damaging to our electric system than ice, because its weight brings down trees and power lines, and the freezing rain slows our ability to clean up the debris before replacing poles, transformers and wires,” said Joe Hamrock, AEP Ohio president and chief operating officer.
            What should customers do?
            First, let AEP Ohio know if there is a power outage. Customers should call the company’s toll-free number at 800-277-2177. During times of high call volume, callers may hear a recorded message. Even if a customer does not speak with a customer solutions center representative, the customer can record a voice message about the outage.
            Customers with access to a computer or a battery-powered laptop computer also can report an outage at www.aepohio.com.
              “The first question the on-line outage site asks is whether a downed wire or other safety hazard exists,” Hamrock said. “AEP Ohio is concerned that customers take appropriate precautions around electrical equipment at all times, especially during service interruptions. Customers and other members of the public should never touch a fallen utility line. Always treat all fallen lines as energized.”
            If there is a widespread power outage, AEP Ohio posts information on www.aepohio.com. Following are a few tips for coping with outages:
• Never touch a downed wire. Always treat this situation as dangerous. Report this condition by phone or online as soon as possible.
• Prepare an emergency kit with flashlight(s), battery-powered lamp and fresh batteries; battery-powered radio or television; water for drinking and cooking; instructions for manually opening power-operated garage doors; and manual can opener.
• Do not open freezer doors. This will keep foods frozen longer. Minimize opening refrigerator doors as well.
• Disconnect (trip breaker in your electrical panel) major heating and cooling
equipment circuits. Leave just one light switched “on” to let you know when power is restored. After power is restored, turn on appliances gradually. Electric utilities can have problems with what is called “cold load pick-up” following outages as customer demand surges when service is restored.
• If temperatures dip below freezing and the power outage is projected to last
overnight or longer, consider moving to a shelter or in with friends or relatives who do have electricity.
• If you leave your house, protect your water pipes from freezing by turning the water off at the main shutoff valve and opening faucets to drain the water.
            Customers are reminded that it is difficult to estimate restoration times for specific areas while the storm is in progress.
            More information can be found on www.aepohio.com under Outages & Problems. To view current customer outage numbers by county, click on the map of current outages.
            AEP Ohio, a unit of American Electric Power, provides electricity to nearly 1.5 million customers of major subsidiaries Columbus Southern Power Company and Ohio Power Company in Ohio, and Wheeling Power Company in the northern panhandle of West Virginia. AEP Ohio is based in Gahanna, Ohio.
            American Electric Power is one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity to more than 5 million customers in 11 states. AEPranks among the nation’s largest generators of electricity, owning nearly 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. AEPalso owns the nation’s largest electricity transmission system, a nearly 39,000-mile network that includes more 765 kilovolt extra-high voltage transmission lines than all other U.S. transmission systems combined. AEP’s transmission system directly or indirectly serves about 10 percent of the electricity demand in the Eastern Interconnection, the interconnected transmission system that covers 38 eastern and central U.S.states and eastern Canada, and approximately 11 percent of the electricity demand in ERCOT, the transmission system that covers much of Texas. AEP’s utility units operate as AEPOhio, AEPTexas, Appalachian Power (in Virginiaand West Virginia), AEPAppalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisianaand east Texas). AEP’s headquarters are in Columbus, Ohio.
 

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