Fast-moving thunderstorms Saturday (8/16) caused widespread power outages for Pennsylvania Power & Light Co. customers in the Lehigh Valley, Williamsport and Pocono Mountain areas.

At the height of the storms early Saturday evening, more than 75,000 customers were out of service. High winds and lightning caused most of the damage, said Ray Stoudt, PP&L's system emergency director.

At midnight Saturday, about 67,900 PP&L customers remained without electricity, Stoudt said. PP&L was moving personnel from its Harrisburg and Lancaster regions, which were relatively unaffected by the storms, to assist in restoring power in the company's hard-hit Northeast, Susquehanna and Lehigh regions.

The utility also had requested assistance from other neighboring electric companies through mutual aid agreements.

Most customers were expected to have power restored sometime Sunday (8/17), Stoudt said. However, restoration efforts in remote areas could take until Monday (8/18).