Storm in Pennsylvania: At least two people died after the weather phenomenon
In central and western Pennsylvania, 430,000 electricity customers were without power Wednesday afternoon by the storms.
Severe storms hit Pennsylvania Tuesday night, leaving two people dead and hundreds of thousands without power. A 22-year-old man was electrocuted near a utility pole while trying to extinguish a mulch fire in State College. Raymond Gordon, 67, was crushed to death by a tree while returning home in Ross Township.
According to poweroutage.us, 430,000 electricity customers were without power in central and western Pennsylvania Wednesday afternoon. The majority of the outages were in Allegheny County, where nearly 231,000 customers remain without power.
Storm details. What does the power company say?
The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh says wind gusts ranged from 80 to 90 mph (128 to 145 km/h) during the storm. Photos of destroyed trees and downed power lines posted by residents on social media attest to the magnitude of the storms.
The Duquesne Light Company stated that the damage was "unprecedented" and that a full assessment would take until Thursday. Vice President of Operations John Hilderbrand II said at a press conference Wednesday that restoration would take five to seven days.
Affected Pennsylvania cities
Pittsburgh city schools postponed activities starting Wednesday due to the electrical power outage. Forest Hills Municipality in Allegheny County declared a state of emergency due to hazardous storm debris, including downed trees and wires. Meanwhile, the city of Springfield and Greene County, Missouri, reported no fatalities.
Cora Scott, director of public information and civic engagement, said in a statement, "We are still assessing the damage, the majority of which is trees and debris blocking roadways." Pennsylvania authorities are expected to restore power and restore streets to the storm damage.
