PPL Electric Utilities is working to restore power to more than 100,000 customers in central eastern Pennsylvania whose electricity service was disrupted by today’s snow and ice storm.

Line crews are being dispatched to repair downed wires. The crews include employees who had been scheduled for vacation leave during the holiday week. In addition, PPL Electric Utilities is bringing in office and management personnel to staff its customer call centers.

"Because of the holiday, many of our employees were away visiting family and friends," said Robert Gombos, vice president-Field Services for PPL Electric Utilities. "However, we are making progress in restoring power."

PPL also is bringing in contractors to remove fallen trees and repair electric lines.

Areas hardest hit by the storm include Lancaster County, the Sinking Spring area, Harrisburg and the West Shore, Panther Valley, Orwigsburg and Bloomsburg. In many communities, wires and tree limbs became coated first by ice and then by heavy, wet snow.

Because the roads are so slippery, getting to the outage sites safely takes longer than usual, Gombos noted. "The major highways are being plowed, but many secondary roads are not in good shape," he said.

"We will work around the clock until all customers are back in service," he said.

Customers can report power outages 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling a toll-free customer service number: 1-800-342-5775 (1-800-DIAL PPL).

If you have trouble getting through to the toll-free number, please wait a few minutes and try again. The telephone lines may be overloaded, because telephone traffic is greatest on Christmas Day. PPL’s telephone lines are operating properly.

PPL Electric Utilities has 1.3 million customers in 29 counties in central and eastern Pennsylvania.