Thousands Plunged into Darkness as Severe Storms Hammer Philadelphia Region, Causing Widespread PECO Outages

PHILADELPHIA, PA – Tens of thousands of residents across the greater Philadelphia area and surrounding counties are without power this morning, Friday, June 20, 2025, after a line of severe thunderstorms packing high winds and heavy rain swept through the region overnight. PECO is reporting significant and widespread outages, with restoration efforts underway as crews assess the extensive damage.

According to the latest figures from PECO’s outage map, the impact has been most severe in the suburban counties. As of early this morning, Delaware County was the hardest hit with a substantial number of customers in the dark. Montgomery County and Chester County are also experiencing major disruptions, each with tens of thousands of reported outages. In Philadelphia County itself, a significant number of households and businesses are grappling with the loss of electricity. Bucks County has also been affected, albeit to a lesser extent.

The primary cause of the widespread blackouts is believed to be the powerful storm system that moved through the area Thursday evening and into the early hours of Friday. Fierce winds toppled trees and brought down power lines, leading to the extensive network of outages.

The utility company has mobilized its crews to address the damage and restore service as quickly and safely as possible. However, with the sheer scale of the outages, specific estimated restoration times for all affected areas have not yet been made available. Residents are being advised to check PECO’s online outage map for the most up-to-date information on their specific locations. The map provides a visual representation of the outages and is updated as crews assess the damage and begin repairs.

While some initial reports mentioned outages in Newark, the most significant impact of this storm system appears to be concentrated in PECO’s service territory in southeastern Pennsylvania. Reports from Newark, Delaware, indicate a much smaller number of customers affected by outages from Delmarva Power. There are also reports of minor outages in Newark, New Jersey, though these appear to be unrelated to the severe weather system that has caused the extensive problems in the Philadelphia region.

Residents in the affected areas are urged to exercise caution and avoid any downed power lines, which should be treated as live and dangerous. Outages can be reported directly to PECO through their website or by phone.

As the day progresses, more information is expected to be released by PECO regarding their restoration efforts and specific timelines for getting the lights back on for the thousands of customers currently in the dark. For now, many in the Philadelphia region are starting their Friday with the inconvenience and disruption of a major power outage.