A high-impact wind event is hammering Central and Western Pennsylvania today, Tuesday, December 30th, causing thousands of power outages and creating hazardous travel conditions just days before the new year.
The National Weather Service has issued Wind Advisories for much of the region, warning that gusts between 40 and 55 mph are strong enough to snap tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects.
Thousands in the Dark
As of late Tuesday morning, utility companies were already scrambling to keep up with outages caused by downed lines.
According to PPL Electric Utilities and FirstEnergy (Met-Ed), over 4,000 customers across Central Pennsylvania were without power. The hardest-hit areas so far include:
- Lebanon County: Reporting over 1,700 outages.
- Perry County: Reporting over 800 outages.
- Significant outages have also been spotted in Cumberland and Dauphin counties.
Utility crews are active, but ongoing high winds are challenging restoration efforts. Officials are reminding residents to never approach a downed power line, as they should always be assumed to be live and dangerous.
Travel Hazards on Turnpike and I-81
The winds are creating difficult conditions for drivers, particularly on high-speed corridors like the Pennsylvania Turnpike, I-80, and I-81.
PennDOT is urging extreme caution, especially for operators of “high-profile vehicles”—such as empty tractor-trailers, box trucks, and RVs—which are highly susceptible to sudden crosswinds.
While the strongest winds are expected to diminish by late Tuesday afternoon, wind chills will remain in the teens and 20s throughout the evening. Residents using alternative heating sources due to power outages are urged to ensure proper ventilation to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
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