ALLENTOWN, Pa., Dec. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- PPL Electric Utilities has restored service to more than 25,000 customers throughout central and eastern Pennsylvania in the wake of severe thunderstorms that produced damaging wind gusts and heavy rain.
The company's employees expect to continue working throughout the night and into Saturday to restore service to an additional 40,500 customers who are still without power from the fast-moving storms.
"We're working to assess the full extent of the damage to power lines and electrical equipment as customers continue to report new power outages," said Robert M. Geneczko, vice president of customer service for PPL Electric Utilities.
"We want to thank our customers for their patience and understanding as we deal with the effects of this very powerful storm," he said.
The storms' unusually high winds packed a punch that brought trees and limbs down on power lines throughout the company's 29-county service territory. Some of the hardest hit areas were in northeastern Pennsylvania and Dauphin County, where damage has been severe and extensive.
Geneczko said the company had prepared for the storm throughout the day Thursday and into Friday. Extra crews were brought on today in preparation for the storm. Those crews continued to work through the evening hours.
He said residents with special needs should contact PPL Electric Utilities at 1-800-DIAL-PPL. In addition, he said residents who observe downed power lines should report the damage using the same toll-free number. Customers are urged to stay clear of fallen wires and to assume that any downed wire is energized.
PPL Electric Utilities Corporation, a subsidiary of PPL Corporation that provides electricity delivery services to about 1.4 million customers in Pennsylvania, has consistently ranked among the best companies for customer service in the United States. Headquartered in Allentown, Pa., PPL Corporation controls more than 11,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States, sells energy in key U.S. markets and delivers electricity to more than 5 million customers in Pennsylvania, the United Kingdom and Latin America. More information is available at http://www.pplweb.com/ .
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