ALLENTOWN, Pa.---One of the largest storm-recovery efforts in PP&L, Inc. history neared completion Sunday afternoon (9/19), as 500 linemen and electrical workers tackled remaining power outages in the company's 10,000-square-mile service area.
Hurricane Floyd, one of the most damaging storms in PP&L history, left about 270,000 PP&L customers without power. As of 4 p.m. Sunday, only about 3,000 customers remained without power. Most live in isolated or wooded areas.
The linemen and electrical workers are part of a force of more than 2,000 people, working around the clock, to repair Floyd's damage and conduct outreach services to customers without power.
"This has been an extraordinary effort by PP&L employees. And we have received much-appreciated help from local contractors and other electric companies," said Robert M. Geneczko, vice president for Power Delivery at PP&L.
PP&L meter readers, technicians, engineers and office workers are providing various support services to the crews doing the restoration work.
In addition, more than 200 linemen from Ontario Hydro, Toronto; Hydro Quebec, Montreal; Allegheny Power, West Virginia; and Duquesne Light, Pittsburgh; are involved in the recovery effort.
Geneczko said PP&L hopes to have most of the remaining outages wrapped up by midnight tonight, although some customers may still be without electricity into Monday.
Most of the remaining outages are in the Poconos and the Harrisburg area. To help speed up the recovery, PP&L has moved crews to the Poconos and Harrisburg from other locations that have completed storm work.
"We know that being without electricity is a hardship. We very much appreciate our customers' understanding as we recover from one of the worst storms ever to hit our region," Geneczko said.
Already, crews have completed more than 2,000 separate repair jobs on PP&L power lines, poles and equipment. The company has used every available measure, including a helicopter to fly over lines in remote areas. The aerial view enables PP&L to assess the damage and conduct repairs more efficiently when crews get to the location.
PP&L will continue working 24 hours a day until all customers affected by the storm are back in service. No PP&L linemen have been sent to assist other utilities in their storm-recovery efforts. Every PP&L lineman is working within PP&L's 29-county service area.
As PP&L moves toward completing the storm cleanup, the company asks customers who are still without power - but have not yet reported the outage - to call PP&L's toll-free service number, 1-800-342-5775 (1-800 DIAL PPL).
"As the crews repair and reactivate power lines, we may find that a single transformer - serving one house or a small group of houses - was damaged during the storm," Geneczko explained.
"The transformer problem won't become evident until power is flowing through the line again," he added. "It is important that we know about every remaining outage to help us fully restore service as quickly as possible."