Hundreds still waiting for power in Philly area after Christmas Eve storm
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Hundreds are still waiting for the power to come back on in Philadelphia and surrounding suburbs Saturday night after a Christmas Eve storm.
According to PECO's online outage map, about 1,500 customers were without power as of 9:30 p.m. Saturday. The company said 138,000 customers had been restored earlier in the day.
Inside the Gallagher/Corcoran family home in Springfield, Pa., Christmas cheer is all around. But outside, a borrowed generator keeping a few essentials going - including the Christmas tree lights- so the family of five could stay home for Christmas.
RELATED: Christmas Eve storm causes flooding, downed trees, power outages across area
"Our babysitter said, 'My dad has one if you want to come pick it up,' and they live right in Springfield. So that's how we spent Christmas Day," said Tammy Gallagher.
The family says the lights went out very early Christmas morning, making for an unusual holiday on Dunwoody Drive.
"It's been fun because it was different but I didn't like it when I couldn't see opening my presents," said Makayla Corcoran, age 11.
"There's like nine houses on this side of the street, just total darkness," said Makayla's father, Brian Corcoran. "I'm just fortunate to have heat right now."
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In Broomall, as PECO crews worked on Windsor Circle, some without heat were setting up generators as darkness fell.
"About 10:30 this morning we lost power. I was having coffee and the TV went out," said Ryan Cook, borrowing a generator from his father. "I'm going to try to hook up a generator to my panel, get the refrigerator on, the freezer, stuff like that. I have no heat."
Fortunately, power was restored on Windsor Circle just before 7 p.m Saturday. About two miles away, we found crews from Canada working on Evergreen Avenue in Broomall. When the power came back on, Claire Mellman ran out to say thanks to the workers who restored her power in the freezing cold.
"I gave them cookies. And they were very sweet and appreciative because they came from all the way Quebec. So we thank them."
