Delco hit hard with power outages, damage after strong wind gusts
Power outages impacting Delco residents after strong winds
Residents in Delaware County may be out of power until Wednesday after strong winds Sunday into Monday created great damage.
PHILADELPHIA - Clear skies in Delaware County may be present Monday evening, but the winds were howling nearly 12 hours ago and took down power lines and trees.
Residents from among the hardest-hit areas of Delco, are speaking out.
What we know:
On Georgetown Road in Wallingford, Delaware County, a tree from the local swim club sits across the road.
Uprooted in Sunday’s strong winds at the dinner hour, it has taken poles and power lines with it.
"This is a significant amount of damage on the street," said Emma Zhang of Wallingford. "That’s true. About three poles and a big tree. I don’t know how long it will take to get the power back. It will be a lot of work."
Zhang, her husband, and two daughters spent the night in a cold home like the thousands of PECO customers who lost power as the heavy winds rolled in and kept blowing through the night and into the morning.
"We stayed downstairs in the basement last night because we have trees above the house. We were afraid we’d have more damage," Zhang explained.
In nearby Rose Valley, on Rose Valley Road, a downed tree and utility pole block the road.
Crews were parked nearby as workers looked over the damage. A few hours later, a man in a cherry picker cut away at the tree as it fell to the street. The road remains impassable.
PECO says that at the height of the outages, 150,000 customers had lost power. It says within 16 hours, 80% were back online.
Trees downed, thousands without power as dangerous winds gust across Philly, NJ, DE
From thousands of power outages to a death from a tree fall incident, many have been impacted by the hurricane-force winds Sunday.
In the Delco community of Chester Heights, a tangle of trees and wires block Valley Brook Road.
With her generator humming in the background, Gina Nicolosi and her pup Bonnie took a close look at the tree resting on Possum Hollow Road in Wallingford. Walking with Bonnie last night, they heard it fall. No one was hurt, but they’ll not soon forget.
"All of a sudden, we heard a loud crack. She was very scared. We were five minutes that way when we came back and saw the tree," Nicolosi said.
What's next:
Residents may be out of power until Wednesday.
The Source: The information in this story is from PECO, and Delco residents.