High winds ripped across Ohio on Friday, March 13, 2026, leaving more than 107,000 American Electric Power (AEP) customers in central Ohio without electricity and causing widespread damage, with gusts reaching up to 85 miles per hour in some areas.

By late afternoon on March 13, the severe weather had plunged nearly 70,000 Franklin County residents into darkness, according to AEP’s outage map. Delaware County saw over 15,000 customers without power, while more than 17,000 customers lost electricity in Licking County, heavily impacting communities like Newark and Granville. Fairfield County also reported almost 5,400 AEP customers without service.

In northeast Ohio, Stark County was also hit hard, with over 17,000 electric customers losing power into Friday evening. This represented nearly 10% of the county's 178,916 electrical customers. While Ohio Edison managed to restore power to many of its customers, AEP outages in Stark County surged from 4,467 to 11,733 throughout the day.

Ferocious Winds Batter State

The National Weather Service in Wilmington issued a high wind advisory across central Ohio and two-thirds of the state, stretching from Pickaway and Fairfield counties north to Lake Erie and the Michigan line. Gusts intensified throughout the day, with John Glenn International Airport recording winds up to 67 mph at 3:10 p.m. Even stronger gusts were reported elsewhere, hitting 77 mph in the Dayton area, up to 80 mph in parts of west central and north central Ohio, and a staggering 85 mph in Cleveland at Burke Lakefront Airport. Akron-Canton Airport clocked gusts at 62 mph around 6 p.m.

These extreme winds were driven by a low-pressure system moving across the Great Lakes, pulling a cold front into the region, explained Alex Kennedy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Cleveland. Sustained winds across Northeast Ohio hovered around 30 to 35 mph.

Widespread Damage and Road Hazards

The powerful gales caused more than just power outages. The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) reported multiple incidents of trucks being blown over across central Ohio. A tractor-trailer overturned into the median of U.S. 33 near Columbus, blocking a left lane, and a Frito Lay truck flipped on U.S. 42 near Converse Huff Road. In northwest Ohio, winds tore the roof off Toth Elementary School in Perrysburg, south of Toledo, and another tractor-trailer was blown over on U.S. 20 in Woodville Township. High-profile vehicles like semis and campers were prohibited on U.S. 20 on Friday due to the hazardous conditions.

Damages extended to local businesses and public services. Tanger Outlets announced a temporary closure due to a power outage. The Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed the county courthouse had lost power by late Friday afternoon. Delaware County officials reported significant roof damage to the Powell YMCA, and closures on Route 315 at Jewett Road and U.S. 42 at state Route 229 due to the wind conditions. Residents across Stark County posted images on social media showing downed power lines, trees, and damage to signs and buildings.

Restoration Efforts Face Challenges

AEP crews mobilized to address the widespread outages, but the utility could not provide an estimated time for full power restoration. High winds, with gusts up to 70 mph, made it too dangerous for personnel to repair some downed lines. The continuous strong winds also kept knocking down more trees and lines, exacerbating the problem and adding to the existing outages.

While the National Weather Service allowed the high wind warning to expire for most Ohio counties by 8 p.m. on March 13, citing gradually weakening winds, the warning remained in effect for eastern counties including Coshocton, Guernsey, Muskingum, Noble, and Tuscarawas, under the jurisdiction of the National Weather Service’s Pittsburgh office. By Saturday morning, March 14, winds were expected to calm to 10 to 15 mph.

Despite the challenges, some progress was made. By Saturday morning, AEP outage numbers had shifted. Franklin County still reported 61,524 customers without power. Licking County had 15,835 outages, Delaware County 5,162, Knox County 7,175, Fairfield County 2,063, Perry County 3,486, and Crawford County 1,178. South Central Power reported additional outages, affecting about 2,400 customers in Fairfield County, 200 in Franklin County, and 770 in Perry County. In Stark County, AEP outages in Canton had reduced from 2,471 to around 900 by 8:40 p.m. Friday, while Louisville and Nimishillen Township saw reductions from 834 to 280 customers without power. North Canton still had about 455 AEP customers without electricity.

Ohio Edison's outage map website stated that estimated restoration times would be available once crews assessed the full extent of the damage.