CLEVELAND — As you look up to the skies in Northeast Ohio, don't be surprised if you see a helicopter hovering above you.
FirstEnergy has informed Northeast Ohio communities that starting Friday, it will be using helicopters to inspect and assess any possible wind damage that took place during last weekend's high-wind storm.
Chesapeake Bay Helicopters (CBH) will be utilized for the post-wind event patrols to inspect and/or assess any possible wind damage that may have been sustained on select transmission lines 69kV-345kV. The patrols are anticipated to take three to four weeks to complete, depending on the weather in the area.
The helicopter to be used for these patrols is as follows: Illuminating Company Region – Black, Hughes MD500 with tail registration number N748CB.
FirstEnergy says the purpose of these follow-up-post-wind patrols is to look for any wind damage that may have been sustained during the recent windstorm where the inspector will be focusing on the structural integrity of the transmission lines and any severe hardware or component damage.
The helicopter will be flying at speeds of 30 knots (35mph) but may also be seen hovering or circling to get a better look at any damage that may be found.
Sunday saw high wind conditions throughout the entire state of Ohio. A tornado warning was even issued for a portion of Ashtabula County at one point.
Warnings were posted for gusts greater than 60 mph and thousands of Northeast Ohio residents were without power for several days.
Watch more coverage of the wind damage from 11 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15: