Residents in Montgomery, Delaware counties endure extended power outages after storms

PHILADELPHIA – Thousands of people in Montgomery and Delaware counties are still without power four days after last Thursday’s storms brought down trees and power lines. 

The outages are not only frustrating but can also be dangerous, especially with the current heatwave.

What we know:

PECO crews are working tirelessly in the scorching heat to restore power to homes and businesses affected by last week’s powerful storms. 

The sound of generators fills the air in Cheltenham, where residents like Lee Wilson have been without power since Thursday night. 

Wilson notes that in their old neighborhood with large trees, power outages are not uncommon.

Residents in Haverford are also facing dangerous temperatures as power outages continue to affect nearly 5,000 PECO customers. With no relief from the heat, families are forced to endure uncomfortable conditions.

What they’re saying:

Montgomery County

Lee Wilson, a Cheltenham resident, expressed gratitude for having purchased a generator years ago, recalling a previous 12-day outage during Hurricane Sandy. “I bought the first generator I could get my hands on, luckily it was big enough,” he said.

Meanwhile, Leonard Bodo from Roslyn, who doesn’t have a generator, is seeking cooler refuge at his son’s house. “It’s warm – it’s too warm,” Bodo remarked.

Dan Tyler, also from Roslyn, shared the challenges of working from home without power. 

“All the windows are closed, all the doors are closed…lights off automatically trying to keep cool and stay downstairs,” he explained. Tyler is hopeful for power restoration soon and plans to visit the mall or store items in friends’ fridges if outages persist.

Delaware County

Bill Hayward and his family are among those impacted, having lost two refrigerators’ worth of food. “It’s hot, and we’ve got four unhappy campers in the house right now,” Hayward shared.

Around the corner, Janine Nolan and her family of five are experiencing similar challenges. 

Their power was restored at midnight but went out again at 8 a.m. leaving their home at a sweltering 80 degrees. 

“We can’t even go up to the floor where the bedrooms are; it’s just stifling hot,” Nolan explained. The family has resorted to setting up an air mattress in the basement to escape the heat.

What’s next:

Residents are managing as best as they can while awaiting power restoration. 

PECO crews continue their efforts, and further updates will be provided as the situation develops.