Frustration grows as thousands still without power after Pittsburgh's deadly storm
Monday's round of storms comes as more than 10,000 homes in the Pittsburgh area are without power following last week's intense storms.
Duquesne Light says it has enough equipment and resources to complete the restoration, but it has never dealt with a storm of this size and scale. So far, crews have replaced nearly 300 utility poles, 250 transformers and 250,000 feet of wire.
For those without power, the frustration is growing, especially when their neighbors across the street have power.
''A little jealous looking outside the window at night and seeing those lights on," said Alex Kester, who lives in Squirrel Hill.
Kester has been without power since April 29's intense storms. At the storm's peak, Duquesne Light said about 325,000 customers, more than half of the utility's service territory in Allegheny and Beaver counties, lost power. As of Monday night, more than 10,000 customers were without power.
"If you're on the left-hand side up here, looking up, you have power and good fortune," Kester said. "For those on the right-hand side, not so much. And it almost makes it that much more painful."
While everyone has struggled this week, it's been especially hard for Kester, who is a diabetic and has to keep his medication refrigerated.
When Kester and other neighbors couldn't get anywhere with Duquesne Light, they looked to state senators and representatives for help. But those calls, he says, fell on deaf ears.
"The receptionists were lovely," Kester said. "They were very pleasant, but that's where it seemed to stop."
Since the storms, Duquesne Light has brought in an additional 600 crew members from outside utilities and contractors and has been working around the clock.
After evaluating damage from the "unprecedented" storm, Duquesne Light Company says all power will be restored by 11 p.m. on Tuesday, though most customers will see the lights come back on before then.
