Severe Weather Causes Damage In Western Pennsylvania
DORMONT (KDKA) -- Severe weather battered western Pennsylvania Monday afternoon.
In Butler County, the sound of chainsaws filled the Coral Ridge Estates Trailer Park after it was hit Monday afternoon by a quick-moving severe thunderstorm, packing powerful winds.
A number of trailers and parked cars were damaged by falling trees and limbs, but there were no serious injuries reported.
Soon after the storm ended, residents and volunteers were all pitching in to help clean up the mess.
Cleanup underway in Butler County trailer park after fierce winds cause damage. pic.twitter.com/QyK06chYkf
— Ralph Iannotti (@IannottiRalph) May 2, 2017
Fran Brown drove to the trailer park from Meadville.
He told KDKA-TV's Ralph Iannotti, "My father-in-law lives right here, me and my wife came down to help clean up and pick up after everything. My sister-in-law is here, her husband and friends."
Ronnie Horstman, who has a landscaping business with her husband, said, "A lot of strangers came together here today. I'm not from this town, I don't know a lot of people who came and put fourth an effort to help us out."
Becky Gitzen was driving back to the trailer park at the height of the storm. Her trailer wasn't damaged, but she says she'll never forget the drive home.
"I felt like I was on a piece of ice that was rumbling, 'cause I was going up and coming down," she said. "I'd go up and come down. I thought I'm going to go over in my little Toyota car, but it stayed upright."
Lisa Washington's Report:
The storm lasted only a few moments, and then it was over. But the damage was done.
Trailer park resident Kimberly Ford said, "I'm just glad everybody is okay, and we didn't get hurt or anything."
As for power outages, at the height of the storm, as many as 40,000 people were in the dark.
As of 10 p.m., Penn Power reported more than 11,500 people in the dark, and Duquesne Light reported 2,200 people still without electricity.
In other parts of the area, an amazing time-lapse video shows the storm moving through downtown Pittsburgh:
Storm sweeps through downtown Pittsburgh pic.twitter.com/2cf5aPSTuq
— timbetler (@timbetler) May 1, 2017
Elsewhere in the city, large tree fell on a home in Brookline around 2:30 p.m. near the intersection of Bay Ridge Avenue and Sussex Avenue. No injuries were reported, but the woman who lives inside the home was startled.
"The noise was very loud, the tree kind of broke in half, split open when it fell down," Linda Lander said.
In Beaver County, a high winds forced a large tree to fall onto a vehicle in a man's front yard.
KDKA's Bob Allen Reports --
"I got a call that a tree might be on my car, and there it was, the only day I parked it there," John Nagy said. "I gotta do it myself, because the utility company won't do it."
In West Mifflin, a tree and power lines came down along the road near Brierly Lane and Aspen Street.
In Bellevue, a viewer sent in a photo of a tree that had been snapped in half by high winds.
In Cecil Township, a trampoline was lifted into the air and flipped.
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There were also delays on the Red Line Monday evening, due to overhead wires touching a tree at Arlington.
MT @pghtransit: RED LINE should anticipate significant delays due to tree touching overhead wires at Arlington. pic.twitter.com/7kz94hBw1G
— Allegheny County (@Allegheny_Co) May 1, 2017
Additionally, the Blue Line at the Overbrook Junction was having switching issues due to the heavy rain.
In South Fayette, Mayview at Boyce Road was closed due to flooding.
S Fayette: Mayview at Boyce Rd closed due to flooding
— Allegheny County (@Allegheny_Co) May 1, 2017
Because of the storms, there were no evening activities for Pittsburgh Public Schools, and cancellations at St. Margaret Mary in Moon Township, Clarion-Limestone Area School District and Young Scholars of Western Pennsylvania Charter. Get the full list here.
Also, Sharon City School District schools will be closed Tuesday, due to damage.
The entirety of western Pennsylvania was placed on a Tornado Watch Monday afternoon and around 2:30 a Tornado Warning was in effect for several counties.
