Thousands of PPL customers in Lehigh Valley without power after storm brings high winds to Pennsylvania
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Thousands of people around Allentown, Pennsylvania and Upper Bucks County were without power Wednesday night after a storm brought rain and high winds that knocked trees and branches onto power lines.
Thursday morning, about 13,000 PPL customers were without power, the energy company's outage tracker showed. A little over 5,300 of those affected customers are in Berks, Bucks, Chester, Lehigh, Montgomery and Northampton Counties.
The tracker showed over 3,000 affected customers in Lehigh County and over 2,000 in Bucks County.
While the outages numbered in the thousands, they were not widespread and represent a low percentage of power customers.
No other power companies in the Delaware Valley region were as affected by the storm as PPL's customers. Here's a snapshot of the other power outage trackers around the region from Thursday morning:
- Atlantic City Electric: 527
- PSE&G: 622
- PECO: 1,851, mostly in Chester and Delaware counties
- Delmarva: 78
NEXT Weather Meterologist Kate Bilo said wind gusts across the region reached up to 56 mph in Newark, Delaware. There was also a recorded 52 mph wind gust in Reading, and a 48 mph gust reading at the Lehigh Valley International Airport.
Across the region, power lines and trees were knocked down by the wind gusts and at least one injury was reported.
One man was taken to a hospital Wednesday nigh when a branch blew off a tree and smashed the windshield of his car. It happened after 11 p.m. while the man was driving on Girard Avenue near 11th Street in Philadelphia.
In Evesham Township, New Jersey, Main Street was closed near Maple Avenue after downed wires were strewn across the road.
And in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, Walnut Lane was blocked off after a tree fell down across the roadway.
In Salem County, New Jersey, a downed utility pole blocked Route 49 near Chestnut Street. In Oxford, Pennsylvania, a downed tree was blocking Chester Pike between Bethel Road and Roneys Corner Road. And in Schwenksville, a downed utility pole closed Main Street near Park Avenue.
CBS Philadelphia meteorologists say the worst of the winds from this storm have passed, but Thursday will still be blustery with possible wind gusts up to 30 mph.
Overnight into Friday, winds will diminish further.