NewsLocal NewsWarren CountyMorrow

Actions

'We can't stay here': More than 1,000 in Morrow without power for more than 18 hours amid dangerous weather

Power outage in Morrow
Posted at 11:32 PM, Dec 23, 2022
and last updated 2022-12-23 23:32:29-05

MORROW, Ohio — More than 1,000 residents were still without power in Morrow late Friday night amid dangerous temperatures and high winds.

Early Friday morning, around 2,000 people in the village were without power, including those in the Woodlands subdivision. Power was restored for about 1,000 residents in the afternoon, but not those in the Woodlands subdivision.

"Our house at I think it was 11 o'clock this morning was already at 50, right now it's sitting at 46 or 44 degrees the last time we checked," said Samantha Pitzer, a Woodlands subdivision resident.

This was around 4 p.m. By then, the Pitzer family had resorted to sitting in their car to keep warm, then leaving the neighborhood altogether to stay with family nearby.

"My dad ran to the store — we're going to make sure the pipes are OK and then we're going to stay at their house tonight," Pitzer said.

A few roads over, Jennifer Jacob and her family had a similar plan.

"We're going to reroute the kids, the dogs, the cats. I mean, we can't stay here," Jacob said.

Decorations that were festive when this neighborhood went to bed Thursday night weren't quite as festive the next day. Their inflatables were laying on the snow and their Christmas lights are dark.

By early Friday evening, some were on their way to a hotel for the night, wanting to keep their family warm as temperatures continued to drop.

"If we have to spend Christmas out there, that's what we have to do. Nobody can stay here, it's too cold," Jacob said.

Around 6:30 p.m. Friday, Duke Energy sent out an update estimating power would be restored in parts of Morrow, including the Woodlands subdivision just before midnight. Another area is estimated to get power back at 7:45 a.m. Saturday.

Little Miami High School is open as a warming shelter.

You can find the latest updates on outages here.

Watch Live:

WCPO 9 News Headlines