More than 9,000 Fayette and Nicholas county residents are without power on what is so far one of the coldest nights of the year.
Fayette County emergency dispatchers said a major substation blew in Brownsville on Fayette 39 near Gauley Bridge, causing a significant portion of the county to lose power.
In Fayette County, 7,264 Appalachian Power customers were without power. In Nicholas County, 2,009 Appalachian Power customers were without electricity. First Energy reported 1 to 20 customers without power in Nicholas County. An additional 452 Appalachian Power customers were in the dark in Greenbrier County.
Appalachian Power estimated the power would be back on by midnight, Fayette dispatchers said.
Dispatchers said the county Homeland Security director was working to get shelters set up in the area.
Dylan Cooper, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Charleston, said overnight temperatures in Fayette and Nicholas counties will be in between 5 degrees and 10 degrees. The eastern end of Nicholas County may dip down to closer to zero, Cooper said.
"Between last night and tonight will be the battle for the coldest day so far," Cooper said.