Severe Winds And Heavy Rains Bring Down Trees In Harmony Township

HARMONY TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- Again the Pittsburgh area got hit hard with more harsh weather tonight.

Severe wind, heavy rains, downed utility lines and damage to some homes were reported.

In Harmony Township, Beaver County one family had to run from their home.

On Pioneer Drive in Harmony Township, Beaver County a family of four says they knew when one big pine tree came down Saturday evening, more would be next, so they ran outside and it's a good thing they did.

On Pioneer four big pine trees came down around and directly on top of the Zanella home.

"It sounded like a freight train coming through here," said Tom Zanella of Harmony Township.

All four family members at the Zanella's house were inside at the time this storm came through. Tom Zanella says when he saw one of these tall old pines fall, he knew the next was coming down, so he took his family and got out.

"My daughter was scared, the tree actually hit her room while she was in it and it knocked a couple of holes in the roof in her room," said Zanella.

Part of a brick chimney was also torn off the Zanella house, landing in the backyard.

Power lines were torn down and now dangle over Pioneer Avenue and there are lots of residents in Harmony, Economy, and Ambridge without power.

This is just some of the damage from Hillsdale Avenue in Harmony Township where the whole street is filled with downed trees as is Sylvan Avenue in the Township.

The Ambridge Regional Center building on Duss Avenue, part of the back of that building was torn off tonight and there's more damage, causing one Harmony Township Supervisor to wonder if this
wasn't more than just a bad storm.

"Hillsdale alone up at the country club there are more than thirty trees down over the Township," said Glenn Angus Chairman of the Harmony Township Supervisors.

"Devastation, devastation, a microburst obviously came through here, we've never seen anything like it," said Angus.

In nearby Economy, 989 is closed from Merriman Road to Watch Hill Drive.

No injuries were reported.

The Ambridge fireworks had to be canceled as tents and grills were blowing at Ambridge Borough Park in the storm, Angus says the show will be rescheduled for next week.

Neighbors tonight were also putting on their own fireworks show and they're been out for hours helping one another saw dawn trees and cleanup.

They too are wondering based on the damage, if this wasn't another microburst to hit the region, it's still too early to determine that.