Severe storms rolled through Pennsylvania on Tuesday evening, killing at least two people, knocking down trees and leaving hundreds of thousands without power.
A 22-year-old man in State College was electrocuted near a utility pole while trying to put out a mulch fire, police said. The man encountered an active electric current and died at the scene.
“This tragic incident occurred during a severe weather event hitting the State College area, resulting in damage to many trees and utility lines,” police said in a news release.
The man’s identity is being withheld pending notification of relatives, police said.
In Ross Township, Raymond Gordon, 67, died after a tree struck him. Police said he was working outside and was walking back into his house when the tree hit him.
Wind gusts were over 80 to 90 mph during the storm, the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh said. Photos posted on social media showed uprooted trees and downed power lines.
A team was out in Wilkinsburg in Allegheny County to survey “potential tornado damage,” the National Weather Service said in a post on X.
Across central and western Pennsylvania, nearly 430,000 customers remained without power early Wednesday afternoon, according to poweroutage.us. A majority of the outages happened in Allegheny County, where almost 231,000 customers continue to be without power.
Duquesne Light Company stated that the storm damage was “unprecedented” and that a complete assessment may not be available until Thursday morning. John Hilderbrand II, the company’s vice president of operations, stated at a Wednesday news conference that they expect five to seven days of restoration time.
Duquesne Light Company say it expects five to seven days of restoration time.Duquesne Light Company / via Facebook
“We understand how difficult and frustrating it is to be without power, especially for an extended period of time,” the company said in a post on X. “This is an ‘all hands on deck’ effort for the company, and we will continue to work around the clock until everyone is restored.”
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said it will take time for power to be fully restored and for roads to be cleared.
“We’re just asking the people of our city to just bear with us for a little bit,” he said at Wednesday’s news conference. “I know it’s an inconvenience, we acknowledge that, but we also acknowledge that safety is paramount.”
Pittsburgh Public Schools were closed on Wednesday due to the widespread power outages. The borough of Forest Hills in Allegheny County declared a state of emergency after the storm resulted in fallen trees, downed power lines and hazardous debris.
Severe weather also struck Missouri on Tuesday. The city of Springfield reported that there were no known fatalities or injuries in Springfield or Greene County.
“We are still currently assessing damage — most of which is trees and debris blocking roadways,” Cora Scott, the director of public information and civic engagement, said in a statement.
Julmary Zambrano contributed.
