Local electric crews, businesses prepare for heavy day of severe thunderstorms

ROSS TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Local businesses are getting ready for calls in light of Wednesday’s expected storms.

“In the last year or so, we’ve seen a lot more uprooted trees,” Val Brown of Lebo Trees told Channel 11.

“I think with all the sogginess in the ground, you risk uprooting trees and the windstorm we had recently probably knocked branches loose,” she said.

It could be a busy day for roofers, too.

“Honestly, after we had all the snow and ice, I’m not looking forward to it. Our phones have been ringing off the hook already,” Chris Schmider of Prescott Roofing said.

He’s a fifth-generation roofer and says homeowners need to pay attention before and after a storm.

“You gotta make sure your gutters are cleaned. When we get these gully washers of rain, if your gutters are not clean, all that’s going to do is overflow,” he said. “Do a walk around the next day when it’s safe. Check for loose siding and missing siding. Look for loose or lifted shingles.”

As far as the power goes, Duquesne Light is staffing up in preparation and is asking customers to be ready.

“We don’t anticipate widespread outages at this point, but there probably will be some uptick in outages,” the Director of Communications and Brand at DLC said.

Neistein advises customers to keep devices charged and have flashlights ready to go.

You can find more here: https://duquesnelight.com/outages-safety/storm-plan.

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