Thousands across our coverage area are still without power, including local businesses.
While some say they were able to reopen within a day of losing power, others have been closed since Tuesday.
While some places like the Community Arts Center of Cambria County said they had a positive experience when the power went out, businesses like Koch’s in Johnstown said they were forced to close their doors for several days during the outages.
Koch’s owner Renee Turturica said, “We were closed for three days. We threw away everything. Everything was a complete loss.”
Koch’s reopened on Saturday for the first time since Tuesday night’s storm.
Turturica said that after the store, which specializes in subs and deli meats, had its power knocked out, she knew everything was lost.
She said, “All of my ice cream, all of the milk, all the iced teas, all the meat, all the cheeses, obviously. I didn’t get my power back on here until one o’clock in the afternoon; at eight o’clock in the morning, I knew everything was a total loss.”
While Turturica said she spent the rest of the week reordering and stocking supplies with her staff, employees at the Cambria County Community Arts Center said they had a much more positive experience when they lost power.
Executive Assistant Allena Schellenberger said, “It was really just one big night of doing everything in the dark; but we pulled through. It was really fun. It’s something we will probably never forget.”
Schellenberger said the organization lost power twice due to the storms.
She said a local music group was holding a performance when the power went out the second time.
She said, “They probably had about 30 minutes of lighted performance, and then everything else was pitch black for the last 30 minutes.”
The group kept on playing in the dark, creating what Schellenberger called a fun and unforgettable experience.
Meanwhile, Turturica, who reopened her store Saturday morning, said she’s happy to have her staff and the community at her side.
She said, “I’m so thankful for the staff I have, though, because seriously, I would not have made it through this without these guys.”
