Water damage to underground cables was blamed for a phone outage that affected hundreds of residents in parts of Homestead, Munhall, West Mifflin and Whitaker.

Verizon spokesman Lee Gierczynski said the company received reports of loss of service from more than 600 customers starting after midnight yesterday.

The heavy rains of recent days damaged four cables, he said. A several-hundred-foot-long section of at least one of the cables, which primarily serves Munhall, will be removed and replaced; that will involve individually splicing each of the hundreds of telephone lines that run through the cable.

"It's a very deliberate process," Mr. Gierczynski said, that may take through the weekend to complete.

Verizon is setting up phone banks at the Homeville Fire Hall, 3900 Greensprings Ave., West Mifflin, where affected residents will be able to make free local calls. The company also is providing a "limited number" of cell phones to municipalities to distribute as needed to such locations as senior citizen high-rises.

Crews will be "working around the clock to get the service restored as quickly as possible," Mr. Gierczynski said.