Duquesne Light, Beaver County Emergency Services Brace For Winter Storm
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BEAVER (KDKA) -- The storm that's coming our way has left a trail of ice in other states, covering trees, cars, power lines and anything else in its path.
Duquesne Light is waiting for the storm's arrival in Pittsburgh and the damage it will bring when it hits Beaver County.
There is concern that the ice could cause lines and trees to come down, resulting in outages.
"Our main concerns with this particular weather event would be icing that would accumulate on our wires or on trees that are close to our wires or also heavy, wet snow that could also impact our operations, as well," Duquesne Light Operations Manager Diane Holder said.
The utility has activated a storm coverage plan, sending out an "all hands on deck" memo to employees.
"We probably have over 100 people either already activated or prepared to activate should conditions warrant," Holder said.
Meanwhile, the Beaver County 911 center is also bracing for the storm's icy arrival. The 911 center handled calls for more than 20 road closings due to flooding early Friday. Now, it's waiting for the second round.
"We're expecting treacherous driving conditions this evening and throughout the night along with increased wires down and trees down, so we brought in extra dispatch staffing," Eric Brewer, with Beaver County emergency services, said.
The County emergency service center is also planning to help emergency responders where needed.
For now, the Ambridge Water Department is getting a break after handling ten water main breaks since Jan. 1, but director Michael Dominick knows more breaks are on the way because the weather is so unpredictable.
"Man, it's gonna be a mess. Usually when it gets really cold like it looks like it's gonna get Sunday night and Monday night, you usually get a couple breaks then, but then when it warms up, that's probably the worst part," Dominick said.
Residents are urged to check on neighbors, especially senior citizens, and to stay home if you don't have to go out. If you do have to go out, make sure you're prepared with a flashlight, batteries and a blanket in your car.