CINCINNATI, Aug. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Duke Energy crews have been working quickly and safely to assess damage, clear debris and restore power after severe storms caused major destruction across Greater Cincinnati on Tuesday.
The latest
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About 160,000 Duke Energy customers remain without power as of 10 p.m., including about 134,000 customers in southwest Ohio and 26,000 customers in Northern Kentucky.
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Crews have restored power to thousands of customers, but fallen trees, broken poles and damaged equipment continue to slow restoration efforts.
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Duke Energy serves about 765,000 electric customers in Ohio and 155,000 electric customers in Kentucky.
Our view
Andy Cassidy, Duke Energy storm director:
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“We’ve been monitoring this storm system and were prepared. Even so, we’ve seen an even greater impact and significant damage than anticipated across the region, and another round of severe weather could create additional challenges.
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“We’re still assessing damage in many areas, but customers should be prepared for extended outages, particularly where crews must rebuild sections of the electric system.
What’s next
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In areas where road conditions remain too hazardous for travel, Duke Energy will deploy lineworkers, damage assessors and tree trimmers as soon as they can safely reach the damaged infrastructure.
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For safety, crews cannot perform elevated work in bucket trucks when winds reach 30 mph or higher, which may slow restoration in some areas.
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Duke Energy restores power using a process designed to return service to the greatest number of customers as quickly and safely as possible while prioritizing facilities that support public health and safety.
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As damage assessments continue, Duke Energy will communicate updates – including estimated times of restoration – to customers through the company’s Outage Alerts and its Outage Map.
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