Thousands Across Chester County Remain In The Dark After Ice Storm
By Todd Quinones
EXTON, Pa., (CBS) -- More than 68 percent of all customers in Chester County don't have electricity Wednesday night.
In all, that's 145,000 homes and businesses.
READ: Latest Power Outage Information
The American Red Cross has set up at shelter inside the Lionville Middle School in Exton, Chester County.
Complete neighborhoods in Chester County are in the dark.
Businesses along Route 113 are shut down and residents are hunkering down, getting gas to fill up generators.
"Storm after storm coming in you just got to tough it out," Chester County resident Wayne Hoffman said.
With no place else to go, families with no heat and no power are finding shelter here at the Lionville Middle School in Exton.
READ: Shelters Open Following Winter Storm
Here they can bring their pets to be cared for and kept warm.
Everyone is welcome.
"I stay with my mom. She is 74-years-old and it's just too cold to stay," Ross Mack of Exton said.
Downed trees, ice covered power line tell the tale, power outages here are wide spread.
It could be four to six days for power to be restored.
Robert Kagel is the Deputy Director for Chester County Emergency Management.
He says the power outages today rival some of the worst storms in recent memory.
"As long as I've been here at the County, I can never remember a time we ever had that many power outages, even Sandy, Irene and Lee," Kagel said.
Matthew Corradi and his wife knew it was time to leave their Chester Springs home after a tree caved in their garage, damaging their car and their friend's car who parked in the driveway.
"Grandfather invited us over, my wife's grandfather so we're lucky there," Corradi said.
The American Red Cross has also set up a large shelter at West Chester University that is capable of accommodating more than 1,300 people.