Storm cleanup continue as crews work to restore power to region
Efforts to clean up and restore power to communities impacted by Tuesday’s devastating storm continued Thursday as first responders braced for more rain Thursday evening and this weekend.
West Penn Power estimates all electrical service should be restored by Sunday evening in Washington County.
According to West Penn Power, 11,861 Washington County customers remained without power as of 2 p.m. Thursday, down from a high of about 40,000 customers Tuesday evening. Fewer customers were impacted in Greene County, with 160 without power, and in Fayette, 61.
Todd Meyers, West Penn Power spokesperson, said the majority of those customers should have their power back by 11 p.m. Saturday. Customers in the hardest hit areas of Washington County are expected to have electricity by 11 p.m. Sunday.
Tuesday’s storm with winds as high as 70 miles per hour and a sudden downpour of rain uprooted trees, downed power lines and ripped roofs off buildings.
However, the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh said Tuesday’s event did not warrant a tornado determination.
“We came to the conclusion that there was none,” said Liana Lupo, meteorologist. “It was a bit hard to determine what those really, really strong winds were with the storm because everything was moving really fast in one direction. But there was definitely some high wind damage as a result of it.”
Four Washington County school districts – Avella, Canon-McMillan, Fort Cherry and Peters Township – remained closed Thursday as did some districts in the South Hills. Burgettstown School District and Faith Christian School operated on a two-hour delay.
Peters Township Fire Department remained busy Thursday while also preparing for more rain.
“We’re still responding to calls,” fire Chief Mike McLaughlin said Thursday. “We just had another wire down call that was new and fresh.”
McLaughlin said a meeting was being held Thursday in advance of new storms, as the department doubles as the emergency management agency. He added power has been restored throughout a good portion of the township, including the public library, which is available for those who remain without power to find a cool place to stay as temperatures climb or to charge wireless devices.
“We still have neighborhoods without power. Most of the critical infrastructure – fire stations, the municipal building, schools – have been restored,” he said.
Lupo said rain, and perhaps some wind and hail, was forecast for Tuesday evening but nothing equaling Tuesday’s storm.
Friday was expected to be dry other than a few scattered showers, but more rain is expected for the weekend.
Any storms could delay cleanup and power restoration efforts.
“What we’re worried about is the potential for some of these storms (to bring) 45 to 55 mile per hour gusts and maybe even 60 here and there,” Meyers said.
High winds and lightning can cause dangerous conditions, especially for those working in the aerial bucket trucks.
“It can cause new outages, and to add insult to injury, there may be some customers out there whose power has been restored from Tuesday who could potentially lose it again,” he said. “Whatever does happen, we have more boots on the ground to make these repairs with all of these additional resources. It’s not only West Penn Power guys who are out there working hard. There’s a ton of help from other First Energy utilities and contractors. There’s an army out there working, but there’s a lot of work for the army to get done.”
Those without power for an extended period may have to deal with perished food.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture states that a refrigerator will keep food safe for up to four hours during a power outage. It recommends keeping the door closed as much as possible. Food such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs and leftovers should be discarded after four hours without power.
“After a power outage, never taste food to determine its safety,” the agency says. “When in doubt, throw it out.”