BERKS COUNTY, Pa. – With wind in the forecast, experts are warning of potential outages, but there are ways to prevent damage to your home.
“We’ve been closely monitoring the forecast. We see that we have some gusty conditions predicted for tonight and into tomorrow as well,” said Damon Turbitt, media relations at PPL Electric Utilities.
Those are conditions that PPL says can potentially cause damage and power outages.
“Anytime that we see any inclement weather coming in, we rally the troops and get everybody together, get folks where they’re needed and ready to respond, and get those lights on,” Turbitt said.
When trees come down, power lines are at risk to get hit or come down, too.
“With heavy winds, you see these pines back here. They’re shifting around. A lot of trees can be prone for some branch failure,” said Andrew Auchenbach, arborist with New Castle Lawn and Landscape.
Tree experts say getting your trees examined every few years is crucial to avoiding a disaster.
“Most homeowners and landscape contractors, they don’t necessarily look up. They’re just seeing what they can see right at their feet and kind of in ground level when there’s a lot of potential risk up in the canopies of trees,” Auchenbach said.
Calling an arborist helps determine if your tree has branch failure.
“I’m out there, like, the bearer of bad news. I’m like, ‘Hey, man, your tree is like 100% diseased and is gonna die,'” Auchenbach said.
If you encounter a fallen wire, take precautions.
“Assume the line is energized. Stay away and report it immediately,” Turbitt said.
PPL says every season, the company works toward upgrading its systems to prevent outages as much as possible.
“We’re clearing lines. We’re working on smart grid automation. We’re investing in stronger poles and wires. All these things to make sure that we’re ready at any moment,” Turbitt said.