Many county residents will have cleanup work to do once power is restored.

Patience: That’s what government officials are recommending as county residents – most without power – attempt to rebound from the ice storm.

With some exceptions where large trees fell, most county roads are passable; however, many resemble accident scenes with shards of ice from tree limbs littering the surface. On Thursday morning, Feb. 6, PECO reported that more than 128,000 of its nearly 210,000 Chester County customers remained in the dark, a situation that could persist into the weekend.

Power continues to out in large portions of the center of the county, and resultingly, traffic lights are out. Although it appears that most motorists are being careful, the lack of lights is causing delays and slowdowns across the area. Numerous businesses remain closed, along with schools, as the power is restored bit-by-bit. While power appears to be coming back in much of Downingtown, Caln appears to less fortunate, with virtually all of Thorndale still without power, midday, Thursday.

Power in Coatesville still has scattered outages, particularly on the east side of the city, although areas without power were also seen on the west side of the city. West Brandywine still has wide-ranging outages, but the situation appears to be better in Valley, with a number of areas seeing restoration of power.

Those retailers that could open were doing brisk business — any Wawa that was seen open had lengthy lines for gas and waiting lines for parking spaces. At the Home Depot in Downingtown, shoppers were snatching up some of the few power generators available for sale in the county and refilling stocks of batteries and flashlights. Although the store had been open, running on minimum power — using generators — a loud cheer went up in the store, Thursday around 10 a.m. when the power was restored for the first time in roughly 30 hours, store employees said.

Still, PECO said Thursday, many homes and business may not see restoration of power until Sunday night or even as late as Monday, as the slow work of repairing tree-entangled power lines continues. Because of the involvement of power lines, these downed trees can only be removed by PECO employees or contractors, due to the wires and power hazards.

For the without power — and heat — shelter options will be open, as the temperature in the county dips in the mid teens tonight.

The county is urging residents who need shelter to go to the Sturzbecker Health Center at West Chester University, 855 S. New Street, West Chester, where overnight facilities have been consolidated.  This shelter is pet-friendly – pets are being housed in a separate building from the human residents – cages and food will be available.

Those who simply need a place to get warm – but where services are more limited – can visit Pope John Paul School, 2875 Manor Road, Coatesville; Cochranville Fire Company 3135 Limestone Road,Cochranville; or Coatesville City Hall – open until 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 6 – One City Hall Place, Coatesville.

Anyone needing transportation to a shelter or warming station should call 610-344-5195. All Chester County facilities – with the exception of the courts and Justice Center – are closed on Thursday, Feb. 6. For more information and tips from the county, visit www.chesco.org/des.

Pennsylvania American Water’ advises that its water and wastewater facilities serving western Chester County continue to experience operational issues resulting from Wednesday’s ice storm and widespread power outages. The Rock Run Water Treatment Plant, which provides water service for approximately 12,000 customers, remains without electricity and is operating on back-up generators.

Many of the company’s pumping stations also remain without power and are running on generators to maintain service for customers. Although electricity has been restored to the Coatesville Wastewater Treatment Plant – which serves nearly 6,000 customers – many of the system’s lift stations remain without power.

Pennsylvania American Water officials said crews have been working around the clock to deploy generators for these key facilities, as well as mobilizing additional generators from other parts of the state. As a result, water and wastewater service to customers has not been impacted. If American Water customers experience disruption in their water or wastewater service, they should contact the customer service center at 800-565-7292. Officials recommend that customers allow a small trickle of water to run overnight; the flow will help prevent frozen pipes. The cost of the extra water is low compared to costly plumbing repairs and water damage, officials said.

Chester County Emergency Management officials are encouraging residents to use caution when utilizing backup generators.  If installed and operated correctly, the use of standby or portable electric generators poses little danger, but improper installation or use could be dangerous.

The county offers these tips for the safe operation and use of portable generators:

• Incorrect generator use can lead to carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning from the toxic engine exhaust, electric shock or electrocution and fire. Follow the directions supplied with the generator.

• Never use a portable generator in a garage, carport, basement, crawl space or other enclosed or partially-enclosed area, even with ventilation. Opening doors and windows or using fans will not prevent CO buildup in the home.
• If you start to feel sick, dizzy, or weak while using a generator, get to fresh air right away — do not delay!
• Install home CO alarms that are battery-operated or have battery back-up. Test batteries frequently and replace when needed.

• Place generators in a dry, outside location, away from windows, doors, and vents that could allow CO to come indoors.
• Generators should be at least 20 feet away from buildings. Even 20 feet away, air flow patterns could still blow carbon monoxide into homes through attic vents, windows, or doors, so it’s very important to have a working carbon monoxide detector inside the home.
• To avoid electrocution, keep the generator dry. Do not use in rain or wet conditions. Operate it on a dry surface under an open canopy-like structure. Make sure your hands are dry before touching the generator.

• Turn the generator off and let it cool before refueling. Gasoline spilled on hot engine parts could ignite.
• Store generator fuel in an approved safety can outside of living areas in a locked shed or other protected area. Local laws may restrict use or storage of fuel. Ask your local fire department for information.
• If you spill fuel or do not seal its container properly, invisible vapors can travel along the ground and be ignited by an appliance’s pilot light or arcs from electric switches in the appliance.
• Use the type of fuel recommended in the generator instructions or on its label.
• Protect your appliances. Turn off or disconnect all appliances and lights before you begin operating the portable generator. Once the generator is running, turn your appliances and lights on one at a time to avoid overloading the unit.

• Use proper extension cords. Use only safety-tested, shop-type electrical cords designed and rated for heavier, outdoor use to connect appliances. Many generators are equipped with twist-lock connects to reduce the chance of accidental disconnections due to vibrations.
• Never try to power house wiring by plugging the generator into a wall outlet, a practice known as “back feeding.” It can lead to the electrocution of utility workers or neighbors served by the same utility transformer.
• The only safe way to connect a generator to house wiring is to have a qualified electrician install a power transfer switch.
• Shut down generators properly. Before shutting down a generator, turn off and unplug all appliances and equipment being powered by the generator.
• Remember maintenance between uses. It’s important to drain the gasoline from the generator while it is being stored. It’s also a good idea to inspect the fuel and oil filters, spark plug, oil level and fuel quality and start the generator on a regular basis before an emergency situation happens.