News Releases

Situation: Line crews and support personnel from PPL Electric Utilities continue to work through harsh conditions to repair damage to poles, wires and equipment, and to restore electric service to about 38,000 customers in eastern and central Pennsylvania.

Wind gusts up to 50 mph and ice still clinging to trees and power lines continued to cause new outages through Sunday night and into early Monday morning, making it difficult to assess when service will be restored to all affected customers. PPL Electric Utilities is estimating that some customers may be without electricity through late Wednesday, although most will be restored by the end of the day Monday. The company has restored power to more than 81,000 customers so far.

PPL Electric Utilities worked with emergency management agencies in the hardest hit areas Sunday to arrange shelter for customers. A link to a list of shelters staffed by the Red Cross can be found at www.pplweb.com.

Customers Restored:  81,000 as of 5 a.m.

Customers Without Power:  38,000 as of 5 a.m.

Affected Areas: South central Pennsylvania is the hardest hit area, particularly the Harrisburg area. Crews also are responding to damages in the Lancaster, Bucks County, Montgomery County and Pocono areas.

Additional help will be arriving from several utilities in the New York and New England area. A number of utilities there have released some of their crews and contractors to support efforts to restore service in the Harrisburg area. These additional crews are expected to begin arriving Monday. Utilities often support each other when severe storms cause widespread outages.

PPL Electric Utilities has been contacting customers who may be without electricity for an extended period, arranging to provide water and food for those customers, and shelter for those who need it.

Cause of Outages: Severe ice and snow buildup on trees and power lines, followed by continued high winds. With the heavy buildup, tree limbs fall into power lines, causing the lines to break and short circuit. Customers should stay away from any downed power lines, treat them as if they were live, and contact PPL at 1-800-342-5775.

Restoration Time: Most customers are expected to be back in service by the end of day Monday (12/17). Some customers may be without electricity until late Wednesday night.

Additional Information: Customers with special needs should call PPL Electric Utilities toll-free at 1-800-342-5775.

During storm emergencies, reporters can view updated PPL Electric Utilities storm information by visiting our news Web site at www.pplnewsroom.com. The StormOutage feature provides system-wide and regional information.