ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Three days after a tornado roared through Robin Belles’ Midway Manor neighborhood, a light rain began falling on Thursday afternoon.
Belles, a retired school teacher, suggested to a visitor they should chat on her covered back patio on Club Avenue in Allentown.
See, the front porch wasn’t an option, because, well, the front porch partially wasn’t there anymore.
- Many residents throughout the Lehigh Valley lost power after Monday's tornado roared through the area
- Residents learned that first calling PPL to restore power is not the protocol
- Not all damage to property may be covered by insurance
The porch's supporting posts and railings lay broken on the concrete slab. Its metal roof had blown clean off and rests in the back yard of a neighbor two doors down and about 150 feet away.
On her patio, a large generator provided electricity to her home; the storm knocked out her service. A large wooden picket fence fell victim to the tornado. It lay across her backyard like railroad tracks to nowhere.
"Sometimes, you’re not sure who to call first. But you call and you wait.”Allentown resident Robin Belles
“We’re lucky nobody was hurt,” Belles said. “But now, there are lots of things to do. Lots of calls to make. Calls to PPL. Calls to my insurance company. Calls to electricians and contractors to fix the damage.
"Sometimes, you’re not sure who to call first. But you call and you wait.”
'That's not how it works'
Belles is among many in her neighborhood and throughout Lehigh Valley making phone calls after sustaining power outages and property damage when a tornado whipping up 100-mph winds tore through the area Monday evening.
While contacting one’s insurance company to learn what damage is or isn’t covered is rather obvious, the call protocol, if you will, is not so clear when a storm knocks out power.
“I’m thinking you call PPL first because they’re the one giving you electricity. But that’s not how it works.”Suzy Irelan, Allentown
Suzy Irelan, of North Wahneta Street, learned that reality in stark terms.
A Midway Manor resident for 30 years, Irelan said she was having dinner and watching TV when the storm hit.
The tornado ripped the PPL power meter off the back of her house, leaving her in the dark. Irelan quickly called PPL.
“They told me they couldn’t replace the meter and give us power right away,” she said Thursday, seated on her front lawn near her damaged front porch.
“They told me I first had to call a master electrician to repair the damage that might be to the other wires.
“Then after that, they said somebody from the city would come out to inspect the repair. And if the city was satisfied with the repairs, then PPL would come out to reattach the power meter.
“I’m thinking you call PPL first because they’re the one giving you electricity. But that’s not how it works.”
No assurance from insurance
A master electrician made repairs to Irelan’s meter pan and service entrance, where the wires connected to the load side of the meter enter the house.
She said she doesn’t know when the city will come to inspect the repair.
Also, Irelan was waiting for her homeowner's insurance company to dispatch an asset manager to her home to learn whether there was enough clearance from objects such as trees or branches that may have caused the damage.
“I hope they come. Otherwise, I’ll have to call again and again.”Allentown resident Suzy Irelan
If not, the insurance company may not cover the damage, as the homeowner is responsible for eliminating that possibility.
Meanwhile, Irelan’s home is without power. She said she charges her cellphone in her son’s car.
Her car? Unavailable. A large tree across the street gave way to the intense winds and toppled onto Irelan’s car parked at the curb in front of her house.
Another issue, another call. Based on her explanation of what happened to the car, her auto insurance provider told her they’d probably pay for the repairs or reimburse for the price of the car if it is deemed to be totaled. An adjuster is expected to arrive on Tuesday.
“I hope they come,” Irelan said. “Otherwise, I’ll have to call again and again.”
Front porch damage to the homes of Ireland and Belles caused the Allentown building inspector to deem the homes as unsafe structures, noting the homes should be razed or repaired immediately.
'Still waiting in the dark'
Around the corner from Irelan, Jennifer Clerici was running on Tuesday.
The storm had knocked out her electricity. She was outside and noticed a PPL truck driving past her house.
“I was chasing it down the street,” Clerici said. “I almost accosted them when I caught up to them. I was like, ‘When are you coming to my house? I need power!’
“They came by soon after. I was lucky. Lots of people are still waiting in the dark.”
“They said they’d be out. But they haven’t come yet. I’ll keep calling.”Resident Jennifer Clerici
More damage, more calls. The storm smashed two holes in her roof. While the repairs have been made, an insurance adjuster has not assessed the damage yet.
“They said they’d be out,” Clerici said. “But they haven’t come yet. I’ll keep calling.”
According to an email Thursday afternoon from Margaret Sheely, regional affairs director for PPL Electric Utilities, power was restored to more than 73,000 customers since Monday.
Sheely said that because of the extensive damage from the tornado, PPL had to remove initial estimated restoration times until all damage could be assessed.
PPL crews are making repairs, including replacing or fixing broken poles, downed wires and clearing downed trees, Sheely wrote. Such work is complex and takes longer to fix in some instances, resulting in longer outages for some customers.
PPL brought in additional crews through mutual assistance to address the power issues, increasing the total number of workers to 900.
