Deadly storms leave thousands without power
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Storms hit Southwestern Pennsylvania hard on Tuesday. Photo: Chrissy Suttles/Axios
Severe storms slammed Southwestern Pennsylvania on Tuesday, killing at least three people and leaving hundreds of thousands without power.
Zoom in: The storms tore off roofs, ripped down power lines and damaged buildings and homes across the region.
- Two people were killed in Allegheny County and one in Greene County, per WPXI. One man was hit by a falling tree outside of his home, a second man was electrocuted by live wires and the third man died when a tree fell on his car.
- Winds hit 71.3 mph at Pittsburgh International Airport, the third-highest ever recorded, per the National Weather Service, with gusts reaching 90+ mph in some areas.
- The storm ripped the roof off of Fiori's Pizzaria in Brookline, damaged a hospitality tent for the U.S. Open at the Oakmont Country Club and destroyed homes in several neighborhoods.
- At the storm's peak, Allegheny County Emergency Services saw up to 1,000 calls per minute, overwhelming dispatchers and regional phone systems.
The latest: Duquesne Light said Wednesday that full power restoration could take five to seven days — with roughly 150,000 customers still in the dark as of Wednesday afternoon.
- The company said on X that over 250,000 lost power at the storm's peak, calling it "one of the most unprecedented storms we've ever experienced."
- Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato and Mayor Ed Gainey both declared a disaster emergency on Wednesday, with Innamorato saying the move would "allow the county to bypass normal procedures and immediately deploy all available resources for emergency response and recovery."
What they're saying: Gainey at a Wednesday news conference urged Pittsburghers to stay home if possible as cleanup efforts continue.
- "We are asking the people of the city to bear with us for a little bit," he said. "I know it's an inconvenience. We also acknowledge safety is paramount."
Gov. Josh Shapiro visited Fiori's and surveyed storm damage on Milton Street in Regent Square, where uprooted trees crushed homes and cars.
- Shapiro encouraged neighbors to lean on one another and said the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency is working with local leaders to ensure they have the resources they need for recovery. "The destruction here is really something," he said.