The runaway blimp that captivated thousands of internet users also caused widespread power outages in Pennsylvania, with more than 11,000 customers affected in Schuylkill County.

As of 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, power had been restored to all but 1,360 of the affected customers in Schuylkill.

The blimp, which drifted north from a military base in Maryland before ultimately crashing in Montour County, damaged PPL lines in Schuylkill along the way.

"The trailing tether line of the blimp, which broke free from the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, reportedly caused damage to multiple electrical system facilities in Columbia and Schuylkill counties," PPL officials said in a statement.

Witnesses said that a high tension line was snapped along Interstate 81 near mile marker 131.

According to PPL's outage map, power was cut to 11,635 PPL customers in Schuylkill County, 132 in Lehigh; 188 in Monroe and 126 in Northampton.

More than 1,000 PPL customers were without power in the Hometown and Tamaqua alone. The Hometown Fire Department set up a generator at the Five Points at routes 309 and 54.

"We will work as quickly and safely as possible to repair the damage and restore all service," said Dave Bonenberger, PPL's vice president-Distribution Operations.