Frustrations Building For Thousands, But Power Companies Making Headway After Weekend Storm
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The efforts to restore power from the weekend storm were productive on Tuesday.
Power crews from as far away as Missouri and Alabama are now in Western Pennsylvania helping West Penn Power and Duquesne light get the juice flowing again.
So as the sunsets on Tuesday here are the latest numbers from the power companies.
West Penn Power still has about a thousand customers waiting for the lights to come on in Butler and Fayette counties. Westmoreland County still has about 7000 customers in the dark and Washington County about 4500. But West Penn is now upgrading the final restoration for 95% of its customers to Thursday night.
Duquesne Light says 90 percent of its customers now have their power restored leaving about 15,000 still waiting. Duquesne Light believes by Wednesday night most all of its customers will be back to normal.
For some, the frustration is growing because their homes are without heat in the middle of winter. But restoration crews are working around the clock to get everyone's service back up and running.
Krystal Smith drove to Ms. M's Happy Tots Daycare hoping to drop off 4-year-old Diondre, only to learn the center was closed for the second day in a row.
"My husband works downtown, and I think he's going to leave work early and come pick him up from my school," Smith told KDKA's Lisa Washington. "Yesterday, I had to call off work because I couldn't get him here, and I couldn't find anyone who could help out with him."
Not far from Ms. M's, it was the same story at Banks Daycare in Penn Hills. It was also closed for a second day, because of a power outage.
"Yesterday, I had to take a day off of work, and today I have to be late for work," said Susan Monroe. "I don't have a choice."
Nicole Dudek, of Verona, wasn't sure where she would drop her children.
"That was my boss on the phone," she said, as she held her cell phone. "I'm very much inconvenienced, day two."
None of the businesses on Verona Road, near Mt. Carmel Road had power.
At a local cabinet company, the generator wasn't strong enough to maintain power, so the owners were leaving for the day.
A Duquesne Light Company crew was spotted on Mt. Carmel Road, assessing the damage of a power line brought down by a huge tree.
People who live in the area have been without power since Sunday afternoon.
"We have a gas stove, so we've been burning the stove, can't use the oven because it's electronic ignition, and listening to radio, something they used to do back in the old day," said Diana Jaden, of Penn Hills.
The outages and dropping temperatures have prompted officials to open warming centers throughout the area.
In the City of Pittsburgh, the CitiParks Healthy Active Living Centers and Recreation Centers are staying open late. Find a list of the senior centers by clicking here and find a list of the rec centers by clicking here.
On the North Side, the Allegheny Center Alliance Church and Red Cross have teamed up to open a warming center. The church is located at the corner of East Ohio and East Commons Streets, and it'll be open overnight if necessary.
Last night, Allegheny County opened these locations as warming facilities:
- Munhall: 2nd floor of the Munhall Borough Building
- East McKeesport: at the United Volunteer Fire/Rescue Station 135 at 600 Broadway Avenue
- Penn Hills at Penn Hills Station 227, which is at 125 Universal Road
- West Homestead at the West Homestead Fire Department Station 292 located at 447 W. 8th Avenue
To check when power will be restored in your area, visit Duquesne Light's website here and West Penn Power's website here.