Severe weather swept through the Pittsburgh area on April 29, 2025, leaving more than 200,000 residents without power. The Duquesne Light Company reported that their power outage map indicated over 199,000 customers were affected, marking the highest number of outages statewide.
As storms rolled in, the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm watch for the entire Pittsburgh region, which is expected to remain in effect until 10 p.m. that evening. The watch extends beyond Pennsylvania, reaching parts of New York and West Virginia, as officials warned of damaging winds, large hail, and even the possibility of isolated tornadoes.
According to Duquesne Light, the outages were concentrated primarily in Allegheny and Beaver counties. Data revealed that in Allegheny County alone, 175,227 out of 477,457 customers were left in the dark, while Beaver County saw 24,730 out of 129,126 customers affected. In contrast, Butler County reported no outages among the 959 customers tracked.
Duquesne Light's Director of Communications & Brand, Matt Neistein, had anticipated the storm's impact. On April 28, he stated, "The National Weather Service is predicting a severe weather event through a lot of the Pittsburgh region, including our service territory." In preparation, the company mobilized additional crews to assist with power restoration efforts.
Neistein assured the public that while they were not fully staffed, they had more than enough personnel on hand to handle any potential outages. "We're going to send some people home early and then bring them back in the afternoon to be ready to work through the evening," he explained.
As the storms approached, residents were urged to take precautions. Neistein recommended that families prepare emergency kits containing nonperishable food, water, and medical supplies, and advised keeping refrigerator and freezer doors closed to preserve food during potential outages.
Power outages were not limited to Duquesne Light customers. Other providers in Pennsylvania also reported significant outages. FirstEnergy had 79,978 customers affected out of 2,050,751 total, while Northwestern REC reported 1,585 out of 19,687 customers impacted. Tri-County Rural Electric Cooperative had 262 out of 19,330 customers affected, and Philadelphia Electric Company (PECO) saw 229 out of 1,689,178 customers without power.
PPL Electric Utilities reported 142 out of 1,930,598 customers affected, while Central Electric Cooperative had 140 out of 2,828 customers impacted. UGI Utilities and United Electric Cooperative each reported just one affected customer.
As the storm continued to wreak havoc, Neistein emphasized the importance of being prepared. "We'll be an all-hands-on-deck situation," he said. "It's about being prepared. It's about being ready for what's coming, and we will be there. Our crews work around the clock to restore power whenever it goes out and get it done safely, so that everybody can go back to living a normal life."
Throughout the day, Duquesne Light maintained communication with residents, encouraging them to sign up with their account, email address, or cellphone number to stay updated on power restoration efforts and the potential impacts of the storm.
As night fell, the extent of the damage remained uncertain, but the company was committed to restoring power as quickly and safely as possible. With storms still in the area, many residents were left wondering how long it would take to return to normalcy.
The Pittsburgh area has faced severe weather before, but the scale of this outage highlighted the vulnerabilities of the electrical infrastructure during extreme weather events. As climate change continues to influence weather patterns, the need for robust and resilient power systems becomes ever more critical.
In the aftermath of the storm, the focus will turn to recovery and assessment of damage across the region. Local officials and utility companies will likely collaborate to ensure that necessary improvements are made to prevent similar incidents in the future.
As the situation develops, residents are urged to remain vigilant and prepared for continued weather challenges. With more storms anticipated, the community's resilience will be tested once again.