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Tue, November 1, 2011
Mon, October 31, 2011
Met-Ed's Restoration Efforts Continue Following Severe Snowstorm
Met-Ed's Restoration Efforts Continue Following Severe Snowstorm -- READING, Pa., Oct. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --
Met-Ed's Restoration Efforts Continue Following Severe Snowstorm
Service Restored to 170,000; Full Restoration Expected By End of Week
READING, Pa., Oct. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Crews from Metropolitan Edison Company (Met-Ed) and other FirstEnergy (NYSE: [ FE ]) utilities continue to restore service and assess the damage caused by the heavy, wet snow that covered its 13-county Pennsylvania service area this weekend. As of 10 a.m. today, the company has restored service to more than 175,000 customers, with 87,000 still without power.
The counties most affected by the snowstorm include York, Adams, Cumberland, Berks, Bucks, Lebanon, Northampton, Monroe, Chester and Lehigh. Downed trees and branches and impassable roads have hampered restoration efforts.
"Based on the assessment information, as well as an aerial patrol of our territory on Sunday, we anticipate that 95 percent of our customers will be restored by Friday, with the remainder restored through the upcoming weekend," said Dave Karafa, Met-Ed regional president. All of our line, support and forestry personnel are working around the clock to restore service. In addition, we are utilizing crews from our FirstEnergy sister companies and contractors to assist our restoration efforts.
"In the meantime, customers should never go near a downed power line or remove trees, limbs or branches from power lines. And, since some communities are holding Trick or Treat night tonight, parents should use an extra measure of caution and make sure children remain safe since power lines remain down in some areas," Karafa adds.
Information about Met-Ed's restoration efforts is being shared with local officials and customers as soon as it is available.
For updated information on the company's restoration efforts, current outages, FirstEnergy's storm restoration process and tips for staying safe, go to [ www.firstenergycorp.com. ] Met-Ed will also provide updates via Twitter – follow us at @Met_Ed.
FirstEnergy customer call centers are fully staffed. To report an outage, or a downed line Met-Ed customers should call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877), or 1-800-545-7738.
Met-Ed serves approximately 560,000 customers in 13 Pennsylvania counties.
FirstEnergy is a diversified energy company dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies comprise the nation's largest investor-owned electric system. Its diverse generating fleet features non-emitting nuclear, scrubbed baseload coal, natural gas, and pumped-storage hydro and other renewables, and has a total generating capacity of nearly 23,000 megawatts.
SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.
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