Potter County Dealing With Hurricane Impact

A report on Hurricane Sandy’s impact was issued at 11 pm Monday by the Potter County Department of Emergency Services (DES). There were scattered power outages and road closings as of that time. Austin Borough was without electricity. Power was out for a short time in the village of Roulette, Ayers Hill, and there was a lingering outage in the Fishing Creek/Hebron/Dingman Run Road area. Roads that were still closed as of 11 pm Monday included Irish Farm Road in Sweden Township, Gas Well Road in Keating Township, and Dingman Run Road in Eulalia Township. There had also been closings due to tree blowdowns on Rt. 44 in Summit Township and Brookland Road in Sweden Township, but traffic was restored after debris was cleared.

All Potter County schools were declared closed on Tuesday, Oct. 30, with the exception of Austin, which announced a two-hour delay in the start of classes. All state and county offices were closed. Declarations of emergency were made by the Potter County Board of Commissioners, as well as Ulysses Borough and the townships of Roulette, Stewardson and Ulysses.

The Potter County Emergency Operations Center opened on Monday. Fire and ambulance services across the county were manning their stations through the night and into Tuesday to assist with debris removal, traffic control, power interruptions and any emergencies that might arise. Potter County DES is compiling damage reports, road closure information, power outage updates and unmet needs.

DES advises that flooding is possible, as rain and scattered snow is forecasted into Wednesday. Residents are advised to stay alert by listening to the National Weather Service forecast for updates. Weather updates are available online at weather.gov.