Pittsburgh Power Outage: Severe thunderstorms and heavy winds have knocked out power for over 40,000 customers across Southwestern Pennsylvania, and heavily impacting Allegheny and Beaver counties. A major lightning strike also temporarily disrupted systems at the Pittsburgh International Airport, though flight operations and security screening are resuming via backup generators and partial grid restoration.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Pittsburgh Power Outage, affected areas, travel advisory, emergency services, and more.
Pittsburgh Power Outage
The power outages are the direct result of fast-moving severe thunderstorms that tore through Western Pennsylvania on Thursday afternoon. The storm brought intense lightning, torrential rain, and damaging wind gusts that downed trees and broke utility poles across multiple counties.
Pittsburgh Power Outage due to Severe Storms & Strong Winds
Severe thunderstorms and heavy winds have knocked out power for over 40,000 customers across Southwestern Pennsylvania, heavily impacting Allegheny and Beaver counties.
Pittsburgh Power Outage: Affected Areas
Some of the hardest-hit areas outside the city include:Â
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Coraopolis (2,200 outages)
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West Mifflin (2,000 outages)
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Homestead (1,300 outages)
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Beaver (1,000 outages)
However, most of the outages were in these counties:
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Westmoreland (3,300 outages)
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Allegheny (2,100 outages)
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Butler (1,300 outages)
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Armstrong (2,200 outages)
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Washington (2,200 outages)
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Indiana (2,500 outages)
Pittsburgh International Airport Blackout
Operations at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) experienced a severe, highly unusual disruption:
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The Cause: A direct lightning strike hit Duquesne Light’s power distribution system outside the airport.
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The Microgrid Failure: The strike was powerful enough to knock out both the main electrical grid feeds and the airport’s specialised 23-megawatt backup microgrid, preventing it from switching into its automatic backup “island mode”.
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Current Flight Status: While power has since been restored and TSA security checkpoints are back online, dozens of flights remain delayed or rescheduled. Passengers are advised to check directly with their airlines before heading to the terminal.
Pittsburgh Power Outage: Current Status by Area
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Duquesne Light Company (DLC): Reporting over 30,000 to 40,000 active outages. Hardest-hit municipal areas include Coraopolis (~3,100), West Mifflin (~2,000), Homestead (~1,300), and Beaver (~1,100).
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West Penn Power / FirstEnergy: Reporting more than 7,200 active outages in the surrounding region, notably impacting Butler County (~1,877) and Washington County (~1,669).
Pittsburgh Power Outage: Safety & Travel Advisory
High winds have disabled numerous stoplights across the city. Treat any inactive or dark traffic light as a four-way stop sign.Â
Do not approach any sagging or downed power lines. Report immediate hazards to emergency services or your utility company.
Pittsburgh Power Outage: Emergency Assistance
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Food Safety: The FDA warns that perishable food in a dark refrigerator is only safe for up to 4 hours. If your power has been out longer, check the PA 211 Emergency Portal for local food distribution or SNAP replacement assistance.
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Property Damage & Tree Cleanup: If a tree has fallen on your home or blocked your driveway, residents in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County can call 211 to request volunteer property cleanup assistance from Team Rubicon.
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Charging Devices: If you need to power up essential medical devices or mobile phones, check local municipality social media pages for community recreation centers opening up temporary daytime charging stations.
