CHARLESTON, W.Va., Aug. 17, 2026 – Appalachian Power Company (APCo) crews are working to restore electric service after another round of severe storms moved through the company's service territory over the weekend, leaving a peak of about 25,000 customers without power on Sunday.
As of about 10 a.m. Monday, about 21,500 customers remained without power following the storms, with about 20,000 of those outages in APCo’s West Virginia territory. The hardest-hit areas in West Virginia include Charleston, Glasgow, Hico, Madison, Logan and Walgrove. In Virginia, the hardest-hit areas are Clintwood and Lynchburg.
“This has been a challenging week for our crews and customers, with storms rolling through our service territory nearly nonstop,” said David Robinson, APCo’s incident commander during major storms. “Our teams are working as quickly and safely as possible to restore power, and we appreciate our customers’ patience as crews continue responding to storm damage across the region.”
Crews are assessing damage, making repairs and restoring service as weather and road conditions allow. Continued winds and saturated ground could cause additional trees and limbs to fall, potentially leading to more outages throughout the day.
APCo expects to restore service in all affected areas by the end of the day. However, crews are finding flooded areas across the service territory, which is prolonging restoration times in some locations. Additional storms forecast for later this afternoon also could create new outages or further affect restoration times.
“We know it is frustrating and difficult for customers who are still without power, and we do not take that lightly,” Robinson said. “Flooding and hazardous road conditions are making it difficult for crews to safely access some damaged areas, but we will continue working as quickly and safely as we can until power is restored to every customer.”
Customers are encouraged to report outages and check estimated restoration times at AppalachianPower.com or through the Appalachian Power mobile app. Customers also can sign up for notifications to receive restoration updates by text, email or phone.
APCo reminds customers to stay away from downed lines and anything they may be touching. Downed wires should always be considered energized and dangerous. Customers using generators should follow all manufacturer instructions and never operate generators inside homes, garages or enclosed spaces.
About Appalachian Power
Appalachian Power Company (APCo), a subsidiary of American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP), is a leading electric utility serving over 1.1 million customers across 57 counties in northeast Tennessee, southwest Virginia, southern West Virginia and parts of West Virginia's northern panhandle. With an extensive network of 61,000 miles of power lines and an owned generating capacity of approximately 8,500 megawatts, APCo is committed to delivering safe, reliable and affordable energy. The company focuses on customer service, innovation, investing in modern infrastructure and a diverse mix of energy solutions to enhance grid reliability and efficiency. With a dedicated workforce of 1,700 employees, APCo is committed to economic development, its customers’ needs and community empowerment. For more information, visit AppalachianPower.com.