Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Region struggles to recover from storm
44,000 still without power in Delco; 10,000 in Chester County
HAVERFORD » The sun was shining and the wind far calmer, but the meteorological improvements were no doubt small comfort Sunday to those still coping with the after effects of the Nor’easter that tore through the Philadelphia region.
As of Sunday afternoon, PECO was still reporting in excess of 155,000 outages in the five-county area, more than 44,000 in Delaware County alone, and many residents could face another 24-72 hours without heat and light.
The storm that unleashed its fury Friday will still be having effects Monday. Haverford School District as well as Marple Newtown have cancelled all classes for Monday because several buildings remain without power.
PECO, which at the height of the storm had more than 600,000 customers in the dark, noted that they had restored power to 25,000 additional customers just since Sunday morning.
Here are the latest numbers in terms of outage across the region: Delaware County: 44,000 Montgomery: 33,000 Chester: 10,000 Bucks: 10,000 Philadelphia: 3,000
Municipal, county and state officials reviewed the situation during a news conference in the parking lot of Barnaby’s, then followed the recap with a tour of some of the problems facing home and business owners from Aldan to Upper Darby.
“That translates to more than 150,000 people in Delaware County,” said Delaware County Council President John McBlain. “More than one in four people are still without power and have been since Friday afternoon.”
PECO has been “working diligently,” he added, to restore power as quickly as possible. The company, assisted by out-of-state crews, is using a strategy to continue activating areas affecting hundreds of customers before concentrating on smaller neighborhoods, such as McBlain’s own street, where extensive work on fallen lines in backyards involve only a dozen homes. PECO projects the majority of customers will be restored by Monday and all are expected to have their power back by midweek.
County Council issued a disaster emergency declaration on Saturday to activate all municipal resources and allocate emergency resources as needed. The members held a conference call with the governor’s Chief of Staff and the Director of PEMA the following day to request assistance and learned the governor’s declaration for the opioid and heroin crisis will be amended to cover the current disaster. State assets will be used for state police assistance with traffic control to start the work and school week, as many busy intersections along Route 1, West Chester Pike and other state roads still do not have working traffic lights, and individual police departments are providing information about their most difficult crossings. State funding will also be used for tree removal and generators.
The county is focused on seniors and residents are reminded to check on the welfare of elderly neighbors. State Rep. Jamie Santora, R-163, of Upper Darby, noted the county-wide 911 lines are open not just for emergencies, but all situations.
“Our biggest priority is our most vulnerable,” he said. “Call 911 for any issue and our municipal police departments are committed to responding and getting whatever help you need.”
Several facilities, such as Wesley Enhanced Living in Marple, are operating on back-up generators and the tour included a stop at the continuing care retirement community. The generators are working overtime to provide heat, operate the kitchens and refrigeration facilities and power individual medical devices. A state Department of Health medical support system trailer parked in the rear of the complex was stocked with additional supplies.
“These buildings and generators were not designed for three-four days of continuous use,” said Delaware County Director of Emergency Services Tim Boyle. “Residents have been moved into common areas where they can be kept warm.”
The county is also concerned about its youngest citizens and the Delaware County Intermediate Unit and local law enforcement worked together to determine school closings. Due to road closures, downed trees and wires and lack of power to certain buildings, as of press time the Haverford and Marple Newtown school districts cancelled classes for Monday.
Rose Tree Elementary and Springton Lake Middle schools in the Rose Tree Media School district were still without power as of Sunday night and will not be open for students. The balance of the district will operate on a two-hour delay. Springfield School District will also be on a twohour delay.
With all the difficult information he needed to review, McBlain was pleased to relay at least one bit of encouraging info.
“We have not had any deaths or serious injuries related to the storm,” he said. “That’s one piece of good news I have to share.”