Crews have restored service to 86 percent of Alabama Power customers affected by Monday’s derecho wind event that left 222,000 people without power. At 3 p.m. Wednesday, crews were working to restore service to 32,000 customers.

All customers affected by Monday’s storms in greater Birmingham, Hoover, Hueytown, Haleyville and Fayette are expected to be restored tonight. Those in the hardest hit areas of Jasper, Carbon Hill, Dora, Hayden, Warrior, Trussville and Leeds should also be restored by midnight.

The eastern part of the state suffered the most severe damage, and crews continue working to restore service there. By midnight Thursday, we expect service to be restored to the hardest hit areas of Anniston, Jacksonville, Heflin, Gadsden, Pell City and Oneonta.

More than 3,500 people are involved in the restoration effort, including crews from Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

As power is restored, Alabama Power wants to emphasize the continuing importance of safety. If power is still out, please call Alabama Power’s automated reporting system at 1-800-888-APCO (2726). It is the fastest way to report an outage or a hazardous situation, such as a downed power line. Also, remember to stay clear of areas with fallen trees, downed lines or debris where downed lines may be hidden.

Alabama Power, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO), provides electric service to more than 1.4 million customers across the state.