Nov 5, 2024 | Safety and Security
This Fall, persistent dry conditions and minimal rainfall have led to drought conditions throughout much of our 29-county service territory. When there are drought conditions, the risk of brush fires and wildfires increases. As first responders continue to battle a wildfire in Lehigh Township, it is an important reminder that having a plan for any emergency is the first step to ensuring you and your loved ones stay safe.
“The safety of our customers and the communities we serve is always our primary focus,” said Ed Harakel, vice president of Operations. “With dry conditions expected to continue, it’s important to be mindful of the heightened risk for fires and be prepared for any sudden changes.”
What can you do to prepare for wildfires?
- Prepare an emergency kit and be ready to put it in your vehicle.
- Follow wildfire prevention tips found at ready.gov/wildfires.
- Create an evacuation plan and make sure to practice that plan so that you can leave quickly if needed.
- Maintain your lawn and remove combustible debris from around your home.
- Download important mobile apps – FEMA and the National Weather Service – to receive timely updates and alerts.
- Sign up for PPL Electric alerts to receive important updates by visiting pplelectric.com/alerts.
What do we do to prepare?
We prepare year-round for emergencies, including wildfires, and are ready to respond at a moment’s notice around the clock to help protect our system and keep our customers safe. We do this by:
- Monitoring weather conditions and working with emergency management officials to guard against wildfire risks across our territory.
- Inspecting lines and other electric infrastructure.
- Making investments throughout the year to strengthen our electric delivery system against severe weather and natural disasters.
- Trimming trees and controlling brush along our right of ways to reduce the possibility of vegetation impacting power lines.
- Using innovation and automated tools to detect trouble and reroute power.
“Our team coordinates closely with local and state emergency management agencies, community liaisons and elected officials through regular communication all year,” said Harakel. “So, when a wildfire does occur, the PPL Electric team is boots on the ground with emergency responders continuously monitoring the situation.”
Should a fire become a larger threat to our system, know that we are prepared to take appropriate actions to lessen damage to the grid and minimize outages. If necessary, we will communicate important information and updates to you via phone, text or email. Now is a great time to sign up and customize your alert settings at pplelectric.com/alerts.
Jan 9, 2024 | Storms and Outages
Power outage? Text “outage” to “TXTPPL” (898775) or report it here.
Update: 1.10.24, 4:30 p.m.
As of 3:30 Wednesday afternoon, about 8,750 of our 1.5 million customers were without power. Since Tuesday afternoon, 65,000 customers have been restored from the original 73,750 customers without power.
We have brought in additional crews to supplement our efforts. Our crews began working Tuesday morning and will continue to work around the clock to safely and quickly restore power as soon as possible.
Update: 1.10.24, 10:00 a.m.
Storms caused widespread damage and power outages across our service territory Tuesday afternoon into the early morning on Wednesday. As of approximately 7:30 a.m., about 12,600 of our 1.5 million customers were without power.
Our crews began working Tuesday morning and are continuing to safely restore power to customers who are experiencing outages. We are bringing in additional crews to supplement our efforts.
Because of the scope of repairs, full restoration could take until Thursday for some customers, although many customers will get power restored sooner, as crews work around the clock to repair damage.
Continued wind could result in additional outages through this afternoon. We encourage customers to stay safe and report any outages.
Update: 1.9.24, 11:00 a.m.
An incoming storm is expected to bring heavy rain and winds across our service territory from Tuesday morning into Wednesday afternoon. We’re closely monitoring the forecast and are prepared to respond to storm-related power outages.
Our dedicated team is ready to respond to any issues that may arise, and we are bringing in additional workers to assist in any restoration efforts that may be necessary. We’ll work as safely and quickly as possible to assess damage and restore power to all customers who are impacted.
We’ll be posting updates on this page throughout the storm. You can adjust alert preferences to receive a phone call, text or email at pplelectric.com/alerts to stay informed during a storm. If you experience an outage, report it by visiting pplelectric.com/outage,texting “Outage” to TXTPPL or call 1-800-342-5775.
While we’ve prepared for possible outages, we want you to be prepared too:
- Charge your cell phones, portable chargers and other electronic devices so they’re ready to use in case of an emergency.
- Prepare or update your emergency kit with food, water, medication and pet supplies.
- Remember that candles can start fires. If you lose power, use flashlights instead. Now is a good time to check your flashlight batteries.
- If you have a portable generator, test it to make sure it’s working, but never operate it in an enclosed area, like a garage, where carbon monoxide fumes could accumulate.
- Assume any downed power line is energized. Stay clear by at least 100 feet and keep kids and pets away. If you see a downed power line, report it immediately by calling 1-800-342-5775 (1-800-DIAL-PPL).