Thousands of Duke customers lose power as winds hit Greater Cincinnati

Thousands of Duke Energy customers were without power Saturday as the National Weather Service warned of strong winds hitting the region.

As of 4:51 p.m., 7,669 Duke Energy customers in the Cincinnati area were without power, with the company reporting 183 active outages, according to Duke's online outage map.

The majority of those outages were concentrated in Clermont County, with areas near New Richmond, Owensville and Felicity most affected.

The National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio issued a high wind warning until 6 p.m.

The agency warned of 20-30 mph winds and wind gusts up to 60 mph. Winds at those speeds can blow around unsecured objects, knock down tree limbs and cause power outages, forecasters said.

Data from the weather service shows wind speeds as high as 59 mph recorded at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and up to 61 mph recorded at Lunken Airport Saturday morning.

Residents should avoid being outside in forested areas, as well as around trees and branches. "If possible, remain in the lower levels of your home during the windstorm, and avoid windows," the weather service said in a statement.

Duke says crews are out assessing damage and making repairs where conditions allow.

"We expect these gusty conditions to cause additional outages and, to some degree, slow the progress of restoration from last night's storms," the company's website reads. "Once winds subside across the region the pace of our outage restoration will increase."