Scattered Outages Add To Heat Misery

July 21, 2011 11:33 PM

(Credit: KDKA)

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Scattered power outages only made things worse for people dealing with intense heat in the Pittsburgh region.

On Cobden Street on the South Side Slopes, it only took a few minutes without air conditioning for Eva Seybold’s home to heat up. She, her daughter, and her dog all sat in the car to cool off with some AC.

A Duquesne Light spokesperson says there have been small, scattered outages from increased demand which transformers can’t handle, but he says it’s isolated and crews have been able to fix issues quickly.

In front of the Mount Lebanon Fire Department, firefighters have set up a cooling station with a mister, bottles of water and even a water bowl for dogs.

At the Allegheny County Area Agency on Aging, they’ve already sent out hundreds of emergency kits to the elderly. They’re also busy calling people and checking on them.

Director Mildred Morrison says, “We are sort of off the chart with concern, and it’s because it’s not just the heat, it’s the number of days it keeps going.”