PECO calls for out-of-state reinforcements

The white trucks lined up outside the PECO electrical substation on PA Route 29 on Sunday afternoon, though clearly utility repair vehicles, did not have PECO logos on them. They belonged to Penske Utility Rental.

The men and women sitting in them were part of that PECO has brought in from around the country to help it recover from the damage wrought by Hurricane Irene over the weekend.

Brian Qualley, of Ironmount, Michigan, and Lance Williams, of Cheboygan, Michigan, said they arrived Saturday morning. They said there were 35 workers in their group.

At least 21 deaths have been blamed on Irene, which left more than a million without electrical power up and down the East Coast.

"They told us [we'd be here] for about two weeks," Qualley said.

PECO said Sunday that it had restored service to 175,000 customers but that 345,000 people were still without power in Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and York counties. Governor Tom Corbett said Sunday afternoon that 43,497 people in Montgomery County were without power.