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Power company not covering claims of damage done by power surge

LEECHBURG, Pa. — Residents in Leechburg are dealing with the aftermath of a power surge Wednesday.

The power surge was likely caused by Tuesday’s strong winds.

Jennifer Burn, a local bartender, showed Channel 11 a scorched plug after the power surge blew it from the wall.

“It actually sounded like a gunshot. Pieces of it flew out onto the floor,” Burns said.

Burns was tending the bar in Town Tavern on Tuesday when suddenly the power went out. She said she heard a loud pop and saw a flash.

“A pop, sparks flew, the lights flickered -- the pool table lights, the signs went out,” Burns said.

Town Tavern’s owner replaced all the surge protectors to each outlet.

Local residents Janet and Kevin Smith were inside their home when they heard the surge.

“I actually thought for a second lightning hit our house. It was that loud of a pop,” Janet Smith said.

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The couple said that they smelled a little smoke. Their circuit breakers were blown, but none of their equipment seemed to be damaged, according to the couple.

West Penn Power told Channel 11 that workers were out in West Leechburg for hours on Tuesday. West Penn Power believes the surge was caused by high winds, but the damage doesn’t appear to be widespread.

According to West Penn Power, about 10 claims have been filed so far.

If claims are weather related, West Penn Power doesn’t cover them. But, they’re telling customers even though they won’t cover the claims to still file them anyway in case they can be turned over to insurance.

You can report outages on the West Penn Power website or by calling them at 1-888-544-4877.