MET ED REPORT AN OUTAGE 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877)
FIRST ENERGY click here or call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877)
PPL REPORT AN OUTAGE: click here or Text "outage" to "TXTPPL"
A winter storm swept through south-central Pennsylvania Monday (February 23), knocking out power for thousands of homes and businesses across Cumberland, Berks, Dauphin, Lehigh and Lancaster counties.
According to PowerOutage.us, roughly 13,754 customers across Pennsylvania were without power as of Monday morning — placing the state seventh in the nation for total outages. That figure represents about 0.21% of the more than 6.7 million customers tracked statewide.
The outages came as no surprise. The National Weather Service (NWS) had warned that strong winds and heavy snow weighing down tree limbs could bring down power lines across the region. The agency issued both a winter storm warning and a winter weather advisory for parts of south-central Pennsylvania, with both alerts in effect until 1 p.m. Monday (February 23).
The NWS also cautioned that the storm was expected to make travel hazardous and would likely affect the Monday morning commute. Drivers were urged to use extra caution on roads throughout the Susquehanna Valley.
The winter storm prompted officials to remind residents of the difference between weather watches and warnings. A watch signals that conditions are in place for severe weather to develop, while a warning means severe weather is actively occurring and immediate action is needed.
Utility crews were expected to work to restore service throughout the day as the storm system moved through the region.