Since a line of severe thunderstorms crossed central and eastern Pennsylvania Monday evening (7/21), PPL Electric Utilities has restored power to about 160,000 customers. Work will continue around the clock until all customers are back in service. As repairs are completed in an area, PPL Electric Utilities is moving crews to assist in places that were harder hit by the storm. Crews from the Harrisburg, Lancaster and Allentown areas will be going to the Poconos, Bloomsburg and Sunbury tonight. PPL Electric Utilities continues to monitor the weather. A chance of more thunderstorms remains in the forecast for the next two days. We will be prepared to respond to any additional outages that occur.

Customers Restored: about 160,000 as of 3 p.m. Tuesday (7/22)

Customers Without Power: about 25,000 as of 3 p.m. Tuesday (7/22)

Affected Areas: Outages occurred across the 29 counties served by PPL Electric Utilities, affecting more than 180,000 of the company’s 1.3 million customers. Hardest hit areas include Lackawanna, Wayne and Pike counties in northeastern Pennsylvania, and Columbia, Montour and Northumberland counties in central Pennsylvania.

Number of Jobs Pending: approximately 800 repair jobs remain to be done.

Cause of Outages: wind and lightning damage to wires, poles and electrical equipment.

Estimated Restoration Time: Customers in the Harrisburg, Lancaster, Allentown and Bethlehem areas affected by the storm should be back in service Tuesday evening. In areas with more damage — including the Poconos, Bloomsburg and Sunbury — full restoration is expected Wednesday evening because of the extensive damage to wires, poles and equipment, and the number of repair jobs that must be completed.

Additional Information:

PPL Electric Utilities is calling customers expected to be without power for more than 24 hours, and has arranged for locations that will give customers free ice and drinking water. For information about those outreach services, to inform us of special needs or to report an outage, customers should call toll-free 1-800-342-5775 (1-800 DIAL PPL).

Crews and support personnel from Dominion Virginia Power and contractor crews for Pepco in Washington, D.C., are coming to help in the restoration effort. The Virginia crews are going to the Bloomsburg area. Crews from the nation’s capital are headed for the Scranton area. Local electrical contractors and tree trimming services also are helping the restoration effort. We will continue to assess the availability of crews and support from other utilities in an effort to restore service as quickly as possible.

Customers who are still without power should call the toll free number at 1-800-342-5775. Our electronic reporting system is an easy and convenient way for customers to report outages.

Customers who see wires on the ground should report them immediately to PPL Electric Utilities and stay a considerable distance away, even if the wires appear to be "dead."