With summer in full swing, many Pennsylvanians are sure to push through with trips and events they’ve been planning for months. Unfortunately, a recent summer storm may have disrupted many such plans for residents of the state. An article from Lancaster Online reports:
Powerful thunderstorms moving across Pennsylvania have left about 171,000 customers without power.
PECO is reporting most of the outages. Nearly 160,000 PECO customers are in the dark in the Philadelphia area, with more than a third of those outages in Chester County. PECO spokeswoman Debra Yemenijian (yeh-meh-NEE-juhn) says crews are still assessing storm damage and there’s no estimate of when power will be restored.
PPL Electric Utilities says more than 12,000 of its customers have lost power, widely scattered throughout central and eastern Pennsylvania.
Although the power outage would surely garner the most attention from many readers, homeowners in the area should also be concerned about their respective roofing systems. Powerful storms like the one reported can wreak havoc on roofs and leave homes vulnerable to the elements. Water damage from leaks and the like aren’t out of the question, either.
In case a powerful storm hits Lancaster, PA, you should stay indoors and wait for the storm to pass. Once it is clear outside, check your Lancaster roofing system for any signs of damage. In particular, be on the lookout for the following:
Shingles in the garden
Survey your garden for bits and pieces of roofing shingles. Be thorough and search behind bushes and shrubs. Even a single shingle in your garden means your home has a chink in its armor.
Curled Shingles
Just because you didn’t find any shingles on the ground doesn’t mean your roof is in the clear. Grab a pair of binoculars (climbing up your roof after a storm is a fall hazard) and scan your roof from the ground for curled or warped shingles. Any shingles that match that description should be replaced immediately.
“Sand” in your gutters
If you can also take a peek at your gutters from your vantage point on the ground, do so. In particular, be on the lookout for a sand-like substance collecting in your gutters. The “sand” is actually eroded shingles. Obviously, this is a sign that it’s time to replace your shingles with new ones.
If you notice any of these signs, call a trusted Lancaster, PA roofing company like Eagle Building Solutions LLC. Do not delay any necessary repairs, as the severity of the damage can increase quickly, leaving your home— and, subsequently, your family— at risk to adverse weather conditions.
(Source: Severe storms leave 171K without power in in Pa. [sic]; Lancaster Online; July 3, 2014)
