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Around 1,500 people woke up without power in Penn Hills Thanksgiving morning

PENN HILLS, Pa. — Power is almost completely restored after around 1,500 Duquesne Light customers woke up without power.

“We actually woke up about 7:30 and realized that the power had been out for a little while,” said Erin Conrad.

It’s not what anyone wants to wake up to -- especially on Thanksgiving Day.

“It was really, really disappointing to know that there was a possibility that our entire day had been destroyed,” Conrad said.

This is the first year Erin and Rob Conrad can’t spend the holiday with their family.

“Really upset basically because this is the first year I’m cooking and my first time cooking a turkey. We got a really nice turkey and it would’ve been a really big disappointment to have to throw it away,” Rob Conrad said.

This is why the power went out: A Verizon utility pole fell right onto Leechburg Road in Penn Hills, likely due to weather. But we’re told the utility pole may have already been in bad shape a couple of weeks ago when a car crashed into it.

The utility pole fell onto the same road the fire department is located; they lost power, but thankfully it didn’t interfere with emergency calls.

We were there as crews quickly began making repairs -- easing the fears of so many families who thought their turkey dinner would be ruined.

“I think we will be able to salvage it hopefully so we will see. It’s a pretty big turkey,” Rob Conran said. “Par for the course for 2020. Yeah 2020 par for the course.”