(File Photo of the Duquesne Light Company Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver County, PA) A year after a powerful storm caused widespread damage and outages in Western Pennsylvania, utilities and city officials say they are better prepared for future severe weather. 

On April 29, 2025, a derecho with winds up to 90 mph left hundreds of thousands without power. 

Duquesne Light Company said it has since introduced new technology to improve communication with customers during outages, including expanded text messaging alerts. The utility also said it has strengthened its ability to restore service by increasing available personnel and deploying tools to more quickly locate downed power lines.