Pa. regulators assess handling of April storm

High winds resulted in massive power outages across the region.

In the wake of a powerful windstorm that left hundreds of thousands of residents without electricity across southwestern Pennsylvania last spring, state regulators have released a comprehensive review to strengthen how utilities prepare for and respond to large-scale outages.

The April 29 storm brought damaging winds across the region, knocking out power for more than 500,000 customers, many of them in Allegheny, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties. Some residents were without electricity for nearly a week as utility crews worked to clear debris, repair damaged lines and restore service.

The National Weather Service recorded wind gusts of up to 71.3 mph at Pittsburgh International Airport as the storm toppled trees, snapped utility poles and left widespread damage in its path.

Downed trees blocked roadways in communities throughout the Mon Valley, while traffic signals failed at major intersections, adding to hazardous conditions.

The storm was blamed for multiple fatalities in Allegheny County, including an electrocution caused by live wires and a death linked to a fallen tree.

Following the storm, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission directed its Bureau of Technical Utility Services to conduct a detailed post-event review of utility preparation, response and restoration efforts. The final report, released this week, outlines 25 findings and 10 recommendations intended to improve storm planning, coordination and system resilience statewide.

According to the commission, while utilities generally took appropriate preparatory steps based on available weather forecasts, the storm underscored ongoing challenges with outage prediction, staffing assumptions and restoration timelines during major events.

The review found that large-scale storms continue to strain electric distribution companies’ ability to provide accurate estimated times of restoration, particularly as damage assessments evolve. Access to skilled line workers, both from inhouse crews and mutual aid agreements, was identified as critical to restoring service safely and efficiently.

Utilities in the hardest-hit areas reported unprecedented damage. Duquesne Light had about 250,000 customers without power at the height of the outages — roughly 40% of its customer base — largely due to trees falling onto lines and equipment.

FirstEnergy reported tens of thousands of outages across Allegheny, Washington and Westmoreland counties as crews worked amid blocked roads and unsafe conditions.

Coordination with county emergency management agencies and local officials was described as generally effective, though the report emphasized that continued collaboration is essential as storms become more frequent and more disruptive.

During the height of the storm, Allegheny County’s 911 center handled more than five times its normal call volume, and several municipalities declared disaster emergencies due to the extent of the damage.

The commission also noted that extended outages disproportionately affect medically vulnerable residents and others with heightened needs during service interruptions.

Among the report’s central recommendations is the re-establishment of a statewide Electric Distribution Company Storm Best Practices Group. The commission said the group would focus on translating lessons learned from major outages into measurable, industrywide improvements.

Recommended priorities include storm response planning and scalability, restoration time estimates and communications, mutual aid coordination, road closure safety protocols and the sharing of best practices among utilities.

Additional recommendations call for utilities to refine restoration forecasting, strengthen call center performance during high-volume events, enhance coordination with emergency management agencies and continue investing in infrastructure hardening and long-term system resilience.

While the review was prompted by the April storm’s severe impact on southwestern Pennsylvania, regulators stressed that its findings apply statewide.

Major outage events are not confined to any one region, the commission said, and similar storms could affect other parts of the state in the future. By improving planning and coordination now, the report concludes, utilities can reduce the duration and severity of outages while better protecting public safety when extreme weather strikes.