Residents across the Newtown area were cleaning up Friday after a powerful line of Thursday evening storms knocked out power, toppled trees, and sent limbs crashing down.
The storms caused significant damage in the area.
As of 2 p.m. Friday, PECO reported just over 1,600 customers in the area remained without service, with some residents told power could be restored by late Friday night.
State Sen. Frank Farry, who also serves as a fire chief, said PECO officials stated they expect a multi-day restoration effort.
Comcast and Verizon customers also reported service disruptions.
Bucks County spokesperson James O’Malley said there were numerous road closures throughout the area in the wake of the storm.
Street flooding had largely dissipated by late Friday night.
Upper Makefield Township opened its municipal building Friday as a cooling and charging station.
The National Weather Service’s regional office reported multiple large trees and branches down in Bucks County, including Newtown and Upper Makefield townships.
“From the damage reports we have received thus far from the storms June 19, it appears the damage was caused by straight-line winds of 60 to 70 mph,” forecasters said. “At this point we don’t see any evidence that a tornado occurred.”
PECO stated that more than 1,400 contractors and crews from other utilities were assisting their employees in the region, with an additional 250 workers arriving Friday afternoon.
“These dedicated crews are working alongside PECO’s employees to repair the extensive damage and get the lights back on as quickly as possible,” the company said in a statement
PECO officials asked people to stay away from downed power lines and damaged electrical equipment. They advised reporting downed lines by calling 800-841-4141.
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