Prepping in Columbus
In June 2022, during a heat wave, AEP Ohio cut power to about 170,000 Columbus customers to protect the grid. In central Ohio, outages are the hazard to plan around.
- Severe storms and outages
- Tornadoes
- Winter storms
Sign up today
The official Columbus alert and lookup tools. Each takes a few minutes and works even if you do nothing else on this page.
- Alert Franklin CountySign up for Alert Franklin County
Franklin County Emergency Management's alerts. Text FCREADY to 888777 for emergency alerts with no account, or register for weather alerts by phone, text and email.
Links checked October 2026. Wireless Emergency Alerts reach most phones automatically; these add local detail.
What can go wrong in Columbus
- Severe storms and derechos
- Fast-moving wind storms bring down trees and lines across the region, sometimes for days.
- Heat-wave outages
- In June 2022, storms and record heat strained the grid and led to intentional outages across Columbus.
- Tornadoes
- Central Ohio sees tornado warnings each spring and summer, often with little lead time.
- Winter storms
- Snow, ice and cold bring outages and dangerous roads.
- Flooding
- Heavy rain floods low roads and basements along the Scioto and Olentangy.
What that means for your plan
Plan for summer outages, not just winter ones. A way to cool one room and a power station for fans can matter as much as warmth.
Know your tornado shelter: the basement or an interior room on the lowest floor.
Keep two weeks of water and food, and check on older neighbors during long outages.
Do these first, in this order
- Alert Franklin County and a NOAA weather radio
Tornado warnings at night.
Radios and communication guide - Power station
Fans, phones and medical devices through outages.
Power stations and generators guide - Warmth without power
Winter storms bring outages in the cold.
Lighting and staying warm guide - Two weeks of water
Basic insurance for any long outage.
Water storage and filters guide - Battery CO alarm
For anyone using a generator or gas heat.
Power stations and generators guide - First-aid kit
Storm cleanup injuries.
First aid and medical guide
Questions
How do I get emergency alerts in Columbus, Ohio?
Text FCREADY to 888777 for Franklin County emergency alerts, or register with Alert Franklin County for weather alerts by phone, text and email.
Why did Columbus lose power in June 2022?
Storms and extreme heat strained the regional grid, and AEP Ohio cut power to protect it, leaving about 170,000 Columbus customers without power, some for days.
How ready is your Columbus home?
The quiz weights every item for suburbs risks and shows your top gaps. About 3 minutes, no sign-up.