Continuing storms slow power outage repairs, could cause more blackouts

While power companies continued to restore electricity Friday to more than 40,000 customers who were in the dark during violent storms Thursday night, additional outages could be in the offing as more storms roll through the region.

“We’re on a roller coaster,” said Todd Meyers, spokesman for West Penn Power. Storms throughout the day Friday and rain forecast for today will undoubtedly slow progress to restore power, cause new outages and, more perversely, undo some of the power restoration work done since Thursday night.

The widespread storm damage felled many trees that, in turn, hit utility poles and wires.

In Westmoreland County, where 3,000 were left without power Thursday, about 1,045 were still without power Friday evening.

West Penn Power outage maps continued to show small pockets of outages across its service area, with several hundred customers still affected in the New Kensington, Arnold and Lower Burrell area.

Still recovering is New Kensington, where Mayor Tom Guzzo declared a state of emergency Friday morning after high winds took off portions of two roofs and pummeled countless trees. State Rep. Frank Dermody, D-Oakmont, toured the city Friday to view the damage with City Clerk Dennis Scarpiniti.

The greatest storm damage occurred on Edgewood Road, where two large trees were so badly uprooted they ripped up portions of the road. The need for money to repair that road, plus deal with other damage, is why the city declared the emergency. There is severe damage throughout the city, including some flooding, that was still being assessed.

“It was wicked (Thursday),” Scarpiniti said.

No one was injured nor made homeless in the city, he said. However, police and others were out Thursday night to keep roads and residents’ driveways open because of the fallen trees, he said.

In Allegheny County, West Penn had more than 3,000 outages Thursday night, which were down to 179 by Friday afternoon.

Duquesne Light, the major electricity provider countywide, still had more than 2,500 customers with power outages. Duquesne Light officials said crews were working around the clock to restore power.

“Most of the remaining outages are expected to be repaired by late afternoon (Saturday), if not sooner. All impacted customers should have their service restored by (Saturday) night,” the company said in a statement issued Friday evening.

Armstrong and Butler counties were hard hit, Meyers said. There were about still about 520 customers without power mid-Friday afternoon in Armstrong and 500 in Butler.

The repairs were taking long because of the widespread damage, Meyers said. Of the 8,000 customers without power early Friday, there were 400 separate areas of damage.