Microburst was the cause of power outages and down trees in northern PA

ROME - On July 7, 2021, the local area citizens of Rome and Towanda experienced multiple microbursts which caused power outages and down trees. NNB News contained unconfirmed reports of fires in the Athens area. 

A microburst is a localized column of sinking air (downdraft) within a thunderstorm and is usually less than or equal to 2.5 miles in diameter. Microbursts can cause extensive damage at the surface, and in some instances, can be life-threatening.

Power was restored in Towanda earlier Thursday morning. According to a press release from First Energy Group/Penelec; "Electric service has been restored to more than 111,000 Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) customers who lost power last evening following damaging thunderstorms that swept through the northern and central parts of the state. Crews are working around the clock to assess damage and restore service to approximately 21,000 customers who remain without power as of 12:30 p.m. today, mostly in the hardest-hit areas of Sussex, Morris, Monmouth, Ocean, Hunterdon and Warren counties. JCP&L crews are addressing more than 460 safety hazards and 105 road closures while evaluating damage and isolating equipment to enable repairs. Nearly 200 additional workers from JCP&L’s sister utilities will be arriving today to assist the more than 270 JCP&L employees and contractors restoring power after the storm. “Powerful winds reaching speeds of more than 65 mph, along with lightning and more than 3 inches of rain in some places, brought down trees and debris that damaged JCP&L’s utility poles and equipment and caused numerous power outages. We will work around the clock and deploy additional resources as necessary until all customers have had service restored,” said Jim Fakult, president of JCP&L. “At the same time, we have our eye on Tropical Storm Elsa and are preparing for any potential impacts later in the week. In particular, we’re taking proactive steps to install barriers and other preventive equipment at substations susceptible to flooding.” Due to the extent of damage from yesterday’s storm, restoration activities are expected to continue through the week. The following estimated restoration times have been established for JCP&L customers that were affected by these storms:" Penelec serves nearly 600,000 customers in Pennsylvania.