Deadly storms that struck Pennsylvania over the Independence Day holiday weekend left power outages expected to linger for days in some areas.
PPL Electric Utilities on Monday reported nearly 65,000 outages across eastern and central Pennsylvania, including more than 2,000 in Lehigh County and nearly 3,250 in Monroe County.
PPL said Sunday that Saturday’s storms left approximately 199,000 customers in its coverage area without power
FirstEnergy Corp.’s Met-Ed reported nearly 25,000 outages Monday across its Pennsylvania service territory, with nearly 6,400 in Monroe County. The corporation’s JCP&L was dealing with 2,000 outages in Warren County and more than 4,100 in Hunterdon County.
Storms struck the Lehigh Valley each night Friday through Sunday, amid a sweltering heat wave that saw highs of 90 to 101 degrees last Tuesday through the Fourth of July on Saturday.
A flood watch remains in effect through Monday evening for eastern Pennsylvania and all of New Jersey, according to the National Weather Service.
Pennsylvania power outages linger after deadly holiday storms
In south-central Pennsylvania’s Cumberland County, a 45-year-old mother and her 11-year-old son died when a tree fell on their campsite Saturday.
The fire chief of Aquashicola Fire Department in Carbon County, William George, died Saturday after responding to several storm-related calls overnight.
Emergency management officials in Monroe County, in the Pocono Mountains, announced the American Red Cross established a shelter at J.M. Hill Elementary School, 151 Broad St. in East Stroudsburg, for residents of Smithfield Township and Middle Smithfield Township affected by extended power outages. It was expected to remain open until 5 p.m. Monday, with pets kept on leashes or in carriers welcome.
PPL Electric said Sunday it deployed over 1,000 personnel, including field crews and back-office emergency response staff, to address widespread damage across its service territory. It told PennLive that crews were brought in from Canada, Rhode Island and Kentucky to assist with restoring service.
PPL President Christine Martin said crews are working continuously to restore service.
“We understand that being without power is never easy, and we’ll continue to work nonstop until every customer is restored,” Martin said.
The utility is urging residents to treat all downed wires as energized and report them to PPL Electric or local emergency response agencies immediately. The company emphasized that safety remains the top priority for customers, communities, first responders and crews.
Customers without power can purchase up to three gallons of water and three 10-pound bags of ice per day from local vendors and receive reimbursement through a bill credit. Itemized receipts should be mailed with account numbers to PPL Electric Utilities, Attn: Ice and Water, 827 Hausman Road, Allentown, PA 18104.
FirstEnergy shared a list of stores where customers can pick up free water and, where available, ice while supplies last.
Allentown officials on Sunday also urged Allentown residents to stay away from downed power lines and trees after a particularly severe storm Saturday night heavily impacted the city’s West End.
Downed wires can remain energized and pose a serious risk of electrocution, according to city officials. Officials warned against driving or walking over or near downed lines or debris, and residents should not attempt to move or touch any wires or damaged utility equipment.
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“Public safety is our top priority,” said Fire Chief Efrain Agosto. “We ask everyone to remain vigilant and keep a safe distance from any storm-related hazards.”
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