Tens of thousands of east-side residents entered a second full day without power on Aug. 13, as Duke Energy crews worked to restore service after Tuesday's storms toppled trees and snapped poles across Hyde Park, Oakley and Mount Lookout.
As we reported Wednesday, Hamilton County was among the hardest-hit areas. By Wednesday afternoon, approximately 49,000 county customers remained without electricity, according to WVXU. For neighbors still in the dark, several time-sensitive resources are available.
SNAP food replacement: apply by Aug. 21
Households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits who lost food due to a power outage lasting four hours or longer can apply for replacement benefits equal to the value of the lost food, up to their monthly benefit amount. Ohio residents must complete Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services Form 07222 and submit it to the Hamilton County JFS office. The deadline is Aug. 21, ten days after the Aug. 11 food loss, according to WLWT.
Kentucky SNAP recipients should contact the Kentucky Department for Community Based Services; applications are accepted by phone and in person.
Debris removal: call 311 by Friday, Aug. 14
Cincinnati residents can call 311 or use the 311 app to request curbside debris pickup. Department of Public Services crews will collect small debris placed at the curb through Friday, Aug. 14, though collections may be delayed, FOX 19 reported.
Hamilton County residents can also drop off yard debris at designated ReSource sites. Call the Hamilton County Recycling Hotline at 513-946-7766 for locations.
Red Cross shelter open
The American Red Cross opened an emergency shelter Aug. 12, at the Hartwell Recreation Center, 8275 Vine St., offering food and shelter in partnership with the city of Cincinnati. Anyone impacted by the storms who has not reached the Red Cross should call 1-800-733-2767.
Food safety guidelines
The Cincinnati Health Department advises residents who have been without power for more than four hours to discard refrigerated perishables including meat, poultry, seafood, eggs and dairy. A closed refrigerator keeps food safe for about four hours; a full freezer holds safe temperatures for roughly 48 hours (24 hours if half full). Frozen food that still contains ice crystals or remains at or below 40°F can generally be refrozen.
The department's guidance: "When in doubt, throw it out."
Duke Energy restoration update
Duke Energy director of communications John Juech told the Cincinnati Enquirer on Wednesday that the Aug. 11 storm produced "the highest count of outages and dispersion of damage I've seen across this region in my time at Duke." The utility has brought in approximately 1,000 additional line workers from Indiana and North Carolina, according to WVXU.
Duke Energy prioritizes restoring critical infrastructure before residential neighborhoods. Customers can report outages by calling 1-800-543-5599, texting OUT to 57801 or using the Duke Energy app.
Safety reminders
- Stay away from all downed or sagging power lines. Treat every line as energized.
- Never run a generator indoors or in an attached garage. Operate generators only outdoors in well-ventilated areas away from air intakes.
- If a power line falls on your car, stay inside unless fire or another immediate threat forces you out.
Stay informed
Cincinnati residents can sign up for CincyAlert, the city's emergency notification system, at cincinnati-oh.gov/ecc/alerts to receive text or email updates.
Additional storms were forecast for Aug. 13, threatening neighborhoods already dealing with saturated ground and downed trees.
