LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — The chainsaws are roaring across parts of Mountain Top as the snow is melted. Now begins the cleanup process for both businesses and homeowners alike.
"We were out shoveling snow, and we started hearing trees cracking and falling all throughout the neighborhood," said Thomas Thompson.
Several of those downed trees now sit in Thompson's front yard. He says the wet and heavy snow caused a bunch of damage he really wasn’t expecting.
"Then the one feel,l and it hit the side of the house. Minor damage: we have some siding damage. So then, we were holding our breath for the next night, even through the night, we lost power until about 3 a.m.," he added.
Just up the road, in the Glen Summit section of Mountain Top, neighbors are going into their fourth day without power.
"Oh, a little snow is beautiful this time of year. But then it just kept coming and coming. 18 inches later, we knew the power was going to take a hit; we just didn’t know when," said Isabella Guarnera-Falvello.
Even with a portable generator, these families use wells, which means no water ahead of the holidays.
"This we were not really prepared for, especially now going into Thanksgiving and the prep work leading up to the big dinner. There’s a lot you can’t do even with a generator," she added.
Glen Summit’s power was estimated to be back up and running Sunday night, but well into Monday afternoon, they’re still left in the dark.
"You just have to be prepared and hope for the best. We’re just saying prayers for the linemen, like please do your best!" she laughed.
As the lights will hopefully soon come on and the branches are cleaned up, these Mountain Top residents say they’re not really sure what Mother Nature will bring for the rest of winter.
"Oh yes, very surprised to see it this early. But I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t see anything like this. That’s just the way it is anymore. You can’t predict what the weather’s going to be like for one month or the next," said Thompson.
As crews continue to work across Luzerne County to restore power, PPL says the crews work to restore the most populated areas first, then move on to smaller neighborhoods, and then those individual homes and businesses.