Montgomery and Delaware County were hit hard by the nor’easter, which left thousands still without power. The suburbs were in worse shape after the storm as their streets are lined with tall, mature trees mature, which toppled in the high winds. After the storm, more that 185,000 customers were still without power, leaving PECO scrambling to restore power to hospitals and other crucial facilities, such as fire stations. Delco opened shelters where people who were without power could warm up or just come in to charge their phone.
Originally, 630,000 customers lost power, however, teams of workers from Texas, Georgia and Canada came to help. Many communities along the East Coast were hit hard, limited the number of local workers available. Many of the extra workers that PECO could have called in for mutual assistance were still in Puerto Rico, although, PECO had only sent twenty workers.
The storm hit SEPTA especially hard as stranded commuters on the regional rail lines as fallen trees blocked trains. Those stranded at stations had trouble getting a ride from anyone as near whiteout conditions on some roadways. Uber drivers, operating under surge pricing made out well though, with some rides home costing commuters over $150. Those who could afford it, opted to stay at local hotels.
The Philadelphia Flower Shower suffered as out of town visitors were hampered by canceled flights all along the east coast. Suburban visitors had to deal with roadways blocked by trees and a lack of electricity, which put a damper on their plans.
In the city, Code Blue was in effect, which means Homeless Outreach teams drive around and take homeless persons to shelters. If a person refuses to go, teams could get a court order, if necessary, from a judge on call. The police could take to take people to shelters as well.
