08/18/2026
⚠️ MR. PRESTIGE OHIO STORM RECOVERY & SAFETY UPDATE
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
COLUMBUS • CENTRAL OHIO • ALL OF OHIO
First and foremost, our thoughts remain with every family, homeowner, renter, business owner, first responder, utility worker and community affected by the severe storms that moved across Ohio.
This was not an ordinary summer storm.
⚡ More than 40,000 lightning strikes were detected across Ohio during roughly a 24-hour period as repeated rounds of storms moved through the state.
Ohio experienced widespread flooding, damaging winds, fallen trees, broken utility poles, downed electrical lines and extensive property damage.
At the height of the storm response, AEP Ohio reported more than 135,000 customers had lost power, with crews working around the clock across its service territory.
📍 COLUMBUS: WHAT WE NOW KNOW
The National Weather Service has officially confirmed that an EF1 tornado touched down in South Columbus on August 11.
🌪️ Estimated peak winds: 100 MPH
🌪️ Path length: approximately 1.8 miles
🌪️ Maximum width: approximately 100 yards
The tornado damaged and uprooted trees, homes, roofs and businesses from the South 8th Street/Morrill-Hinman area east toward Parsons Avenue, Champion Avenue and Lockbourne Road before lifting west of Fairwood Avenue.
That explains a lot of what many of us have been seeing while driving through these neighborhoods. Entire mature trees did not simply decide Tuesday was retirement day.
⚡ POWER RESTORATION UPDATE
Ohio has made major progress.
As of Tuesday morning, August 18, roughly 2,300 customers statewide remained without electricity among utilities being tracked, a dramatic improvement from the massive outages immediately following the storms.
Franklin County is also down to a relatively small number of remaining outages compared with the tens of thousands affected during the storm.
However, an individual street or property can still be without service even when the overall numbers look good.
Always check AEP Ohio or your local utility for your specific address and restoration information.
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☀️ COLUMBUS WEATHER: TODAY VS. THE REST OF THE WEEK
TODAY | TUESDAY, AUGUST 18
☀️ Mostly sunny
🌡️ Around 80°F
🌬️ Light winds
✅ Our best immediate window for outdoor storm cleanup
For homeowners and cleanup crews, today provides a much better opportunity to safely assess properties, remove accessible debris and continue recovery work.
WEDNESDAY
⛅ Clouds increase
🌡️ Around 79°F
⛈️ Thunderstorm chances return during the afternoon
🌧️ Storms become more likely Wednesday night
THURSDAY
⛅ Partly sunny to mostly cloudy
🌡️ Around 79°F
⛈️ Additional showers and thunderstorms remain possible
FRIDAY
☀️ Mostly sunny
🌡️ Around 80°F
✅ Another excellent cleanup and recovery window
SATURDAY
☀️ Sunshine early
⛈️ Another chance of afternoon thunderstorms
SUNDAY & MONDAY
☀️ Currently trending mostly sunny and cooler, with highs in the upper 70s.
BOTTOM LINE: Today and Friday currently appear to be the strongest weather windows for outdoor recovery work. Wednesday afternoon through Thursday deserves more caution, especially around already-weakened trees.
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🚨 PLEASE REMEMBER: SAFETY BEFORE CLEANUP
We know everyone wants their yard, driveway, home or business put back together.
But there is an order to this.
1️⃣ LIFE SAFETY FIRST
If someone is injured, trapped, there is a fire, suspected gas leak, major structural damage or an immediate threat to life:
CALL 911. Columbus Firefighters Columbus Division of Police
Ohio Department of Public Safety
2️⃣ DOWNED POWER LINES
⚡ Treat EVERY fallen electrical line as LIVE.
Do not:
❌ Touch it
❌ Drive across it
❌ Move branches around it
❌ Cut trees touching it
❌ Allow children or pets near it
AEP Ohio specifically warns customers never to approach or touch downed electrical lines.
AEP Ohio
3️⃣ CHECK THE STRUCTURE
Do not enter a home, garage or business that appears unstable until it has been determined safe.
Storm-damaged trees can also continue falling days after the storm because trunks, root systems and major limbs may already be compromised.
4️⃣ DOCUMENT BEFORE CLEANUP
📸 Take photographs.
🎥 Take video.
🏠 Photograph structures.
🌳 Photograph fallen trees.
🚗 Photograph damaged vehicles.
🪵 Photograph debris.
📄 Save estimates, invoices and receipts.
Then contact your insurance company and begin the claims process when applicable.
5️⃣ THEN BEGIN PROFESSIONAL CLEANUP
Once electrical, structural and emergency hazards have been addressed, Mr. Prestige Lawn Care Perfectionist LLC is available to help restore order.
🌳 Fallen trees & branches
🪵 Storm debris cleanup
🚛 Debris removal & hauling
🏠 Residential properties
🏢 Commercial properties
🔑 Rental & investment properties
📸 Estimates & documentation for insurance-related losses
🤝 We work with insurance companies
💳 Financing may be available for qualifying customers
We understand this disaster was not on anybody's financial calendar.
Apparently Mother Nature continues operating without consulting the household budget department.
That does not mean people should be pressured, exploited or rushed into making expensive decisions.
Our mission is to help our neighbors understand the situation, make the property safe, protect what can still be protected and begin putting life back in order.
❤️ People First.
⚡ Safety First.
🏠 Protect the Property.
🌳 Then Cleanup After the Chaos.
MR. PRESTIGE LAWN CARE PERFECTIONIST LLC
📞 380-710-4275
Serving Columbus, Central Ohio and surrounding Ohio communities.
CLEANUP AFTER THE CHAOS.
Please share this with a homeowner, landlord, renter, business owner, family member or neighbor who may still be dealing with storm damage.
