Business & Tech

Power Outage Shuts Down Some Businesses in Sewickley

As of Wednesday night, approximately 300 Duquesne Light customers remained without power due to storms.

Rosanna Marek planned to have lunch with her husband Wednesday in Sewickley. But the couple was surprised to find the Sewickley Cafe closed, along with every other restaurant they checked.  

"We were in Cranberry and decided to come here for lunch instead," said Marek of Bell Acres, who ended up at the nearby Eat'n Park. 

Several rounds of violent thunderstorms hit the region Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, causing an overnight power outage in the borough that forced several businesses -- banks, restaurants, boutiques -- to shut down for the day.  

Borough Manager Kevin Flannery said two transformers in the area took direct lightning hits during the storm.

Crews with Duquesne Light Co. are working to restore power throughout the region, but Flannery said the outage in Sewickley only affects certain areas of town.

"Some businesses are open, some are not,"' he said.

Signs were hung on windows and doors at some businesses to notify customers.

At Safran's, store employees said the neighborhood grocery lost power overnight and lost some perishables such as ice cream as a result.

A group worked to salvage what they could from the store’s inventory with the help a refrigerated truck.

Despite not having power at Spoiled Chics, sales associate Alisa Drechsler said a few customers still came in to shop in the dark. 

Unable to run credit cards, some items were placed on hold while other customers paid in cash, she said. Still, the boutique closed earlier than usual.

Duquesne Light Co. spokesman Joey Vallarian said all customers are expected to have their electric restored no later than 2 p.m. Thursday afternoon.

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As of Wednesday night, approximately 300 customers remained without power.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch in effect from 6 p.m. Wednesday through Thursday morning. 

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