This one, during the afternoon of Nov. 15, 2020, is the 13th so far this year.Â
Swift trudges outside to her garage to start the generator. She props open the door to the garage, reaches above her to the handle of a long rope attached to a pulley, which cranks the generator. She pulls it over and over until, finally, the machine rumbles to life.Â
For seven more hours, she relies on the generator until the electricity is restored. That length of time to be without power also is all too common, she says. Â
The power company in the Trout Run region is Penelec, one of the stateâs largest power suppliers, and is owned by First Energy, which provides service to much of Pennsylvania as well as portions of West Virginia, Ohio and New Jersey.Â