Thousands remain without power as dangerous heat wave looms
Thousands still without power after storms as dangerous heat wave approaches
As the Philadelphia area braces for extreme heat, thousands of homes remain without power following Thursday's storm.
PHILADELPHIA - As the region braces for extreme heat, thousands of homes remain without power following damaging storms on Thursday evening.
Temperatures are expected to soar into the mid-90s on Sunday, leaving those without electricity or air conditioning searching for ways to cope.
What we know:
Thursday’s storms produced heavy rain and 60-mile-an-hour wind gusts that downed trees and branches and damaged electrical equipment in communities across the Delaware Valley.
Thousands of homes across the area remained without power Saturday as a dangerous heat wave that could produce multiple days of triple-digit temperatures approaches.
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Extreme Heat Warnings and Watches are in effect for most of the area through Wednesday. Sunday is expected to be the start of a dangerous heat wave with temperatures potentially reaching the mid-90s. Come Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, high temperatures are expected to approach or surpass 100 degrees.
You can check PECO’s website and outage map for more updates and information, here.
What they're saying:
Residents in Elkins Park are among those affected by the power outages. Stacy Arnett, who has been without power for 48 hours, has resorted to sleeping outside under a tree, the coolest spot she could find. Arnett, who lives with diabetes and requires refrigerated insulin, is uncertain about when power will be restored, though there is hope it may return by late Sunday night.
A few doors down, Carol Stirton-Broad and Curt Broad are managing the outage with the help of a neighbor's generator, which has allowed them to charge devices. They are considering relocating if power isn't restored soon, especially for the comfort of their dog, Wally, who is experiencing his first time without air conditioning.
Stacy Arnett expressed her concerns: "We are extremely worried and we’re not sure what we’ll be doing going forward if we’re going to have to leave home or what are the stuff we’ll have to do but we’re just waiting and seeing how we can cope but it’s very miserable."
Carol Stirton-Broad shared her thoughts on the situation: "I’m not looking forward to it but we’ve had some offers of houses we can use that are vacant so we might actually take them up on that."
PECO is advising customers without power to stay hydrated, wear light clothing, and consider visiting public cooling centers. In case of heat-related health emergencies, they should call 911 or go to the hospital.
What's next:
PECO has assured that a vast majority of customers will have power restored by 11 p.m. Sunday, with crews working around the clock to ensure everyone’s power is back on. However, many residents are left with questions about how to manage until then, particularly concerning medication and food storage.