Scioto County is expected to have 100 percent of its power restored by midnight tonight (Thursday).

AEP Ohio says the storms, which struck the area about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday left 1,435 customers in Scioto County without service Wednesday morning, and crews were working around the clock to restore power.

Scioto County has 36,414 customers, meaning 3.9 percent of them woke to no power Wednesday morning.

The hardest hit area in the region was Lawrence County where 4,943 of 24,932 customers remained powerless Wednesday morning, leaving 19.8 percent without electricity.

Pike County suffered the least in the region with only 258 of their 11,361 customers without power Wednesday morning.

In Jackson 430, Ross 324 and Gallia with 367 without power rounding out the statistics for the region.

"We ran into a little bit. Not a whole lot," Scioto County Engineer Craig Opperman said. "We had a couple of guys out looking at trees and stuff like that. But as far as trees we didn't have a lot, nothing too big. It was mainly branches that blew out from high winds. We had some driveways, some gravel driveways that washed out on the road, and we're going to get them plowed off today."

Opperman said the engineer's office recorded 1.05 inches of rain in a very short time Tuesday evening and night.

"Trees were our biggest problem last night," said Kathleen Fuller, public information officer for the Ohio Department of Transportation, District 9 headquarters. "We didn't actually have any closures."

Fuller said workers observed creek waters on the rise, but none that crossed roads. She said her department pays close attention to the Rarden area. But despite the heavy rains, no roads needed to be closed in that area.

Greenup County, Ky., EMA said they had no reports of damage.

At the height of the storm Tuesday night, 52,700 customers were without power, but as of Wednesday morning, that number had dwindled to 1,600.

Kim Carver of the Scioto County Emergency Management Agency, said more rain is in the immediate forecast. Showers and thunderstorms might develop today, while widespread severe weather is not anticipated, a few storms could become strong to marginally severe. Damaging winds would be the primary threat.

FRANK LEWIS may be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 232, or flewis@heartlandpublications.com.