Harrisburg, PA — The Shapiro Administration has been working closely with county and local partners to assess and clean up damages after severe storms moved across western and central Pennsylvania last evening.
“We knew that these storms had the potential to bring significant damages to Pennsylvania,” said Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Director Randy Padfield. “Our staff prepared ahead of time, monitored the impacts of the storm last evening and overnight, and has been in touch with county emergency management partners to determine if any state assistance is needed for clean up and recovery. The Shapiro Administration will continue to work with local partners to support communities across Pennsylvania as they clean up after this storm and utilities work to restore power as quickly as possible.”
The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center placed much of western and central Pennsylvania in an “enhanced risk” area for severe storms on Tuesday, a risk category issued on average only six times per year in Pennsylvania.
The line of storms that moved through the enhanced risk area traveled at speeds of 65-70 miles per hour, with high winds that caused damage.
Pittsburgh International Airport recorded the third highest wind gust on record — at 71 miles per hour — and a Keystone Mesonet sensor from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) in Venango County measured winds of 74 miles per hour.
PennDOT continues to respond to the storm. Heavy winds and rain resulted in downed trees and utilities on many roadways, resulting in closures. These were concentrated primarily in the western and central portions of the state.
“Our PennDOT teams are out clearing roadways so they can be swiftly reopened,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “Please be careful as you’re traveling today, and be sure to check 511PA.com or the 511PA app for the latest information on closures and conditions.”
Pennsylvania State Police responded to numerous incidents, including one fatality in Greene County involving a tree that fell onto a vehicle, and provided traffic control assistance when debris blocked roadways or traffic signals were not working due to power outages.
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) is working closely with jurisdictional utilities, the Governor’s Office, PEMA, and other state agencies to support the safe and efficient restoration of electric service following severe storms that swept across the Commonwealth. The storm system caused widespread infrastructure damage, impacting not only electric utility systems, but also roadways and telecommunications networks, including cellular service in some areas.
“This was not a typical weather event — it was a large-scale storm with serious impacts across multiple systems,” said PUC Chairman Stephen M. DeFrank. “Even if utility crews are not visible in your immediate neighborhood, vital work is underway nearby to safely restore service to as many customers as quickly as possible.”
The greatest concentration of outages is in Allegheny County, and significant damage is reported in Armstrong, Beaver, Cambria, Centre, Clearfield, Indiana, Jefferson, Washington, and Westmoreland counties.
The PUC also confirmed that its Safety Division is investigating two storm-related fatalities involving downed power lines — one in Pittsburgh and one in State College — and reminds all Pennsylvanians to stay far away from any fallen wires or objects in contact with power lines, and report hazards to utilities or 911.
Consumers are urged to report outages directly to their utility, avoid downed lines and flooded areas, and use flashlights instead of candles for lighting. Generators must only be used outdoors, and never connected directly to a home’s electrical system.
Anyone planning to travel should closely monitor weather conditions along travel routes. Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting 511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional X alerts.
Citizens should have multiple ways to get severe weather alerts, and many legitimate alerting sources such as mobile apps are available free of charge. A variety of alert options are available through CodeRED, as well as trusted local media outlets. NOAA weather radios are available at many retailers and are yet another way to keep family and loved ones safe from severe weather.