Emergency Electrical Repair Help in Greensburg, PA

Leave first if anything is burning

Smoke, sparks, a crackling sound inside a wall or a panel that is hot to the touch means get out and call 911. Westmoreland County's Department of Public Safety answers 911 for the city. Do not go back in to switch anything off.

If there is only an odor, such as hot plastic near an outlet, a switch or the panel, shut off that circuit or the main breaker if you can do it while standing on a dry floor, then unplug what was running. Describe the smell and where it was strongest when you call.

What the City tells residents to check

The City of Greensburg's emergency management pages give a simple rule: if your neighbors' lights are out, report the outage to West Penn Power; if only your lights are out, check your circuit breakers or fuses. West Penn Power, part of FirstEnergy, does not automatically know your house is dark, so report it even if a neighbor already has. The City also advises residents to be prepared for a long outage after a major storm, with flashlights, batteries, water and food on hand.

If the main breaker is on and nothing trips but the house is still dark while the street is lit, the problem may be in the meter base or the service entrance. That is the point to call an electrician.

When the service wire comes down

Stay away from any downed line and anything it touches, including fences, gutters and puddles, and report it to West Penn Power or 911. The City notes that in a major storm the utility often makes temporary repairs, such as cutting a wire or opening a circuit, to make an area safe before coming back for permanent work.

The overhead wire belongs to the utility, but the mast, weatherhead, meter base and panel on your house are the owner's. If the storm ripped the mast off the wall or bent the meter base, an electrician has to repair it, and the repair is normally inspected before the utility will reconnect. Ask the provider to coordinate that reconnection so you are not left waiting between the two.

Older city housing and overloaded circuits

The Census Bureau puts Greensburg's median year built at 1957, and about 2,300 of the city's 7,262 housing units, roughly a third, were built in 1939 or earlier. In older neighborhoods such as Bunker Hill, Ludwick, East Greensburg and the Academy Hill area, it is common to find original circuits extended over the years, ungrounded outlets and kitchens sharing one or two circuits among many appliances.

About a quarter of city households heat with electricity, and many others add space heaters in January. A breaker that trips when the heater, microwave and hair dryer run together is doing its job. A breaker that trips with almost nothing running, feels hot or will not reset at all points to a fault in the wiring or the breaker itself and needs an electrician.

Generators and sump pumps after a storm

Storm outages often arrive with heavy rain, and a sump pump with no power cannot keep a basement dry. If you use a portable generator, set it outside, far from doors, windows and vents; the Consumer Product Safety Commission warns that its carbon monoxide can kill quickly. Plug the sump pump into a heavy-duty cord running from the generator, never into a house outlet that is back-fed by the generator.

If the basement is already wet, do not go down to unplug or reset anything that may be in contact with the water. Wait until power is cut at the main breaker from a dry location or by the utility.

Permits in the City of Greensburg

Panel replacements, service upgrades and new circuits are Uniform Construction Code work. The City's Planning and Development office at City Hall, 416 South Main Street, handles permits, and plan review and inspections are carried out for the City by its third-party code agency. Homes in South Greensburg, Southwest Greensburg or Hempfield Township share the 15601 ZIP but follow their own municipality's rules, so say which one you are in.

Ask the electrician who pulls the permit and schedules the inspection, especially when a storm-damaged service must pass inspection before reconnection.

What to say when you call

Give your street, nearest cross street and neighborhood, whether the street has power, which breakers tripped, and anything you saw, heard or smelled. Ask about after-hours charges, whether the visit fee is credited toward the repair, and for a written estimate before panel or service work begins.

If the storm also damaged the roof, siding or trees near the line, mention it. An electrician may need the utility to disconnect the service before working on the mast, and a roofer or tree crew may need to work around the same wire, so sorting out the order of repairs on the first call saves days.

Renters and multi-unit buildings

The Census Bureau counts about 45 percent of Greensburg's occupied homes as renter-occupied, and many older houses near downtown have been divided into apartments that share one service and a basement full of meters. If you rent and lose power, check whether the other units are out, then tell the landlord or manager in writing. Wiring and panel repairs in a rental are normally the owner's responsibility.

Do not reset breakers in a shared panel you cannot identify, and do not run cords between units. If a hallway, stair or basement shared space smells hot or a panel is buzzing, call 911 first and then the landlord.

Sources for Greensburg facts on this page

• City of Greensburg Emergency Management: Power outage information
• City of Greensburg Emergency Management: Reporting power outages
• City of Greensburg Emergency Management: Restoration updates
• TribLive: Storms topple trees, flood basements in region (September 2026)
• U.S. Fire Administration: Electrical fire safety
• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Portable generator safety
• U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year, B25035 and B25034 (Greensburg city)
• City of Greensburg Planning & Development: Property Permit Requirements