Pocono News Section

Weather Causes Numerous Power Outages

Weather Causes Numerous Power Outages - Thursday, December 3, 2009 at 11:42AM EST

Reported by: Mark Hiller
Thursday, Dec 3, 2009 @ 11:42am EST
DUPONT, LUZERNE COUNTY - Utility crews were busy across the region Thursday morning dealing with weather-related power outages.

One of those blackouts stretched from Dupont to parts of Avoca and Pittston Township. Just like the others, it appears gusty winds are to blame.

"It looked like a nuclear bomb went off," is how Chris Schuster described the power outage that hit his Dupont neighborhood.
"There was just bunch of flashes of lights and... just like it was an explosion."

A transformer blew along Bear Creek Road that Schuster and his neighbors couldn't help but hear.

Bob Price lives next door and was startled by the explosion. "When it went there was a loud buzz from the transformer and then a bright blue flash. Bright enough it looked like a camera flash going off in your face and it pretty much woke up the neighborhood," said Price who decided to get a closer look.

"I came outside to see what was going on and they had the power line down across our driveway, across the neighbor's driveway and as far up as two houses up the road," he said.

Price says the only damage he could find in his house was a blown lamp. He's lucky, compared to Schuster and his girlfriend.
"Two of our laptops were plugged in so they're not working," said Schuster. "But hopefully everything else is working. We don't know."

And he wouldn't until power was restored. PPL crews were quick to respond to a job that was going to take several hours.

And it's more than just houses dealing with this Luzerne County blackout. Many businesses were affected, including "The Hub" convenience store on Bear Creek Road. That meant everything from the cash register to the coolers wouldn't work.

The building is also where Emily Brody lives and had to get ready for school. "And my mom woke me up with these two flashlights. So, I had to get ready with only 2 flashlights," she said.

As for traffic lights, they also went dark requiring a little traffic control and patience for people waiting out the blackout.

PPL reported more than 1,700 customers within 15 counties of the Eyewitness News coverage area still without power as of late Thursday morning. The utility company hoped to restore service to those homes and businesses by Thursday afternoon at 3:00 p. m.