SEPTA service disruptions and Peco power outages continue after powerful storm ripped through region
Outages were widespread across Philadelphia and the collar counties, making restoration efforts more complex, said a Peco spokesperson.
Thousands of residents in the Philadelphia region had a rough start to the weekend after a powerful thunderstorm ripped through the area Thursday, felling trees on power lines and SEPTA infrastructure.
By 9 p.m., Peco had restored power to nearly 80% of the 327,000 customers who’d lost service, but still had a long way to go. Some customers won’t be getting their power back until well into the weekend, said utility spokesperson Tom Brubaker.
“Unlike other storms, this one has impacted communities throughout our service territory, so it’s fairly widespread,” he said.
Meanwhile, SEPTA had what spokesperson Andrew Busch called a “choppy” morning commute with issues going into the afternoon. SEPTA Regional Rail users reported delays, and riders of the Manayunk/Norristown Line said they had to be evacuated from their train after it hit a downed tree branch and sparks began emitting from a car.
Busch said the flashing was likely due to some low-hanging power lines, what’s called arcing, and the train had to be taken out of service to address the fallen branch.
Busch said crews had been working overnight to clear the areas along the Regional Rail lines. But at the start of the morning commute, the Manayunk/Norristown, Fox Chase, and Warminster Lines were offline. Manayunk/ Norristown remained suspended Friday night due to power outages. There was no estimate for when service would resume.
The storm that barreled through the region Thursday only lasted about an hour, between 5 and 6 p.m., according to the National Weather Service in Mount Holly. In that hour, however, winds reached 55 mph, knocking down tree limbs as well as entire trees.
Peco was also hustling Friday to restore service.
Due to the severity of the storm, Brubaker said Peco activated its Emergency Operations Center in Plymouth Meeting, which acts as a home base from which workers can triage outages and dispatch crews most efficiently.
When a storm leaves so many customers without power, the usual Peco field crews require backup. Approximately 1,400 contractors and assistance personnel were called in to help restore power. This included people in vegetation management, who help Peco workers navigate fallen trees that might be obstructing power lines; municipalities also help with this work. Another 250 full-time Peco employees were slated to offer reinforcements later Friday.
As of 9 p.m. Friday, around 21,300 customers in Montgomery County were still affected by outages. There were nearly 20,800 outages in Delaware County and around 12,400 in Bucks County.
Brubaker said customers can go online to see their restoration estimate.
“It’s a complex process of restoring power, and we want to make sure that we do it right and we do it safely,” said Brubaker.
The company said it aims to prevent future outages with a $9.3 billion investment in its electric and natural gas systems over the next five years.