Pittsburgh residents are increasingly seeking food aid due to extended blackouts from Monday’s storms, according to municipal officials who spoke on Friday.
Mayor EdGainey stated that calls related to food issues to the city’s 211 helpline began surging on Thursday. The municipality is working alongside the Red Cross to supply non-perishable food items to senior living towers and comparable establishments.
He said the city and county are partnering in a fundraising campaign for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and other food pantries. The goal is to raise $1 million to help address what Mr. Gainey called “an unexpected increase in demand over the next month as residents recover financially.”
The mayor stated that an unnamed donor has already pledged $100,000.
For access to food-related services and various assistance programs, residents may dial 211.
Power restoration efforts
Starting from Tuesday, Duquesne Light has managed to restore electricity for 250,000 customers — “the largest number of customers that we have ever gotten back online following a singular weather event this quickly,” stated Christine Waller, who serves as the utility firm’s vice president of communications.
“But we also understand that this isn’t sufficient until each individual customer who remains without power is reached,” she stated.
The targeted global restoration time is still late Tuesday.
Put differently,” Ms. Waller stated, “this is when we expect all customers to have their power restored.
The aim, though, is to improve this estimation as teams keep working on assessing and fixing the damages. She mentioned that there are still damaged utility poles requiring attention, along with fallen wires.
“This is the moment in our shared endeavor when frustrations may surge, patience might wear thin, and individuals could believe that the toughest part is over,” she stated.
It could be accurate as far as the weather is concerned, she mentioned.
However,” Ms. Waller stated, “risks still persist, particularly the threat posed by fallen power lines. Kindly adhere to public safety announcements and warnings regarding this hazard.
Lee Schmitt, who serves as the city public safety director, mentioned that complaints keep accumulating about drivers removing barriers and warning tapes to navigate through restricted areas on their own.
The recreation and senior centers within the city have extended their operating hours into the evening specifically for charging electronic devices. Additionally, city emergency medical services personnel are providing supplementary oxygen to individuals whose supply has been disrupted. Furthermore, the municipal locations where residents can dispose of garden waste will remain accessible from 6 A.M. until 10 P.M. on both Saturdays and Sundays, with resident usage charges being suspended during this period.
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