Crews prepping for overnight storms that could cause damage, power outages

BUTLER COUNTY, Pa. — Right now, crews are prepared for any potential outages across our area. Powerful winds are the biggest concern for Monday night and Tuesday morning, so officials are urging families to have a back-up plan in case you lose power in this heat.

Monday night, potentially severe weather with damaging winds is the top concern across our region, as storms are expected to roll in Monday evening and Tuesday morning.

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The spokesperson for FirstEnergy Corp., which handles West Penn Power, Penn Power and Penelec, said the threat could be widespread.

“The threat ... really targets much of western Pennsylvania,” said the FirstEnergy Corp. spokesperson, Todd Meyers.

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They will have extra crews spread out in different counties and plan to work 16 hours on and eight hours off if there are significant outages.

They also have contractors and tree crews on standby. A big worry is the strong winds causing outages or tree branches knocking over power lines and poles.

Some people in the Cranberry Township area are worried about having no A.C. in this hot weather.

“Even just the thought of that sounds so unbearable, and I think that’s when people get really irritated,” said Macy Barshick.

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Here’s what you can do to stay cool during an outage.

“It can (be) hot in the house. If you have elderly folks or very young children and you need a place to stay cool, ... (it’s) good to have a back-up plan to go to a friends or neighbors house until power is restored,” said Meyers.

In the city of Pittsburgh, Duquesne Light also has extra crews on standby, working around the clock to restore any power outages caused by these storms. They said to make sure you’re stocked up with the essentials in case you lose power.

“I think we are pretty prepared. We have some water in the garage, a generator (and) handheld fans we can use,” said Barshick.

Make sure to stay away from any downed lines. If you’re experiencing an outage tonight, report it to your power company right away.

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