MOUNT LEBANON, Pa. — A couple in Mt. Lebanon posted a sign in their yard last week and have been updating it daily to reflect the number of days they’ve been without power. They are currently on day nine and are frustrated with the lack of communication from Duquesne Light Company.
On Wednesday, Channel 11 News interviewed Maury and Ellen Katz and asked if Duquesne Light had provided a date for restoring their power.
“They’ve pushed it back again and again,” Ellen Katz replied.
“We didn’t hear from Duquesne Light; we had to call them to report that our power was out,” said Maury Katz. The couple lost power immediately during last Tuesday’s storm and have been unable to get a clear answer from the company regarding when it would be restored.
“It’s very frustrating,” Ellen Katz expressed. “You don’t know who to believe or what to believe. You don’t know who is telling the truth.”
They are not alone in their frustration; hundreds of residents across Allegheny County are still without power. Earlier today, County Executive Sara Innamorato extended the emergency declaration for an additional 30 days to allow the county to deploy all available resources for emergency response.
“We are frustrated with the lack of communication and accurate information from a public utility,” said Abby Goldstein, a resident of Churchill.
Goldstein reported that she received an incorrect update from Duquesne Light stating that her power had been restored.
“We received two messages over the weekend saying our power has been restored, but it hasn’t,” she said.
Goldstein has been without electricity since last Tuesday.
Channel 11 News contacted the power company, and they indicated that they expect to restore all power by 11:00 p.m. on Wednesday. However, when we inquired about other concerns, such as how many customers remain without power, when crews would be working in hard-hit areas, and what caused the delays in restoration, we were only informed that extensive damage and additional weather events had slowed their efforts.
“What’s frustrating is that they are not honest. Why couldn’t they just say, ‘This is a significant job, and we think we’ll be able to get to you by such-and-such day’?” Maury Katz explained.
We asked residents what they would like to see happen in the future to prevent similar situations. They emphasized the need for a coordinated effort between Duquesne Light and their elected officials.
“The other thing I am very disappointed in is the response from Mt. Lebanon Township; they have been absolutely unhelpful,” Ellen Katz said.
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