PITTSBURGH – A powerful storm system that brought severe weather to the central U.S. on Sunday and Monday continued its eastward trek Tuesday, with over 2,000 miles of the country under threat for severe weather.
NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center received hundreds of reports of severe weather, which included downed trees and power lines and even some roofs that were damaged by near-hurricane-force wind gusts.
Data from FindEnergy.com indicated that more than half a million customers throughout the region were without power on Tuesday from the severe storms, with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania being the hardest hit.
Most outages were reported around the Pittsburgh metro, which reported a wind gust to 71 mph.
Doppler radar indicated wind gusts could have topped 80 mph, with isolated, embedded tornadoes.
Officials reported a man was killed south of the Monongahela River after coming in contact with downed power lines.
In photos and videos taken from Allegheny County, dozens of homes appeared to be damaged by falling trees.
The Pittsburgh Public Safety Department reported even experiencing 911 outages due to the extreme weather.
The department encouraged residents who were having phone issues to call their local police zone districts for assistance.
“A large swath of destructive wind damage was seen across our area as storms rolled through. In some locations, straight-line winds gusted over 80-90 mph – stronger than many of the smaller EF-0 & EF-1 tornadoes we typically see in this region, but for a much, much wider area,” meteorologists with the National Weather Service office in Pittsburgh stated.
Amid the chaotic day of storms, a multi-alarm fire broke out in a building in Pittsburgh, requiring a significant number of firefighters.
The local firefighter union said two firefighters became trapped while battling flames on the second floor but were quickly rescued.
Severe weather also rocked parts of Missouri earlier on Tuesday morning, with thunderstorms producing 91-mph wind gusts in Springfield. In addition, schools in Ozark, Missouri, were told to shelter in place during a Tornado Warning.
There were numerous reports of trees and power lines down in Freistatt, Monett and Aurora.
Another community impacted by the storms was Purdy, Missouri, home to Camp Barnabas, a beloved organization that provides camping experiences for people with chronic illnesses and special needs.
The camp was severely damaged during the storms. Many trees were knocked down on the property, damaging buildings and equipment. Campers are set to arrive in about a month. Volunteers and donations are needed to help them reopen in time to welcome the campers for the summer.
“We are so thankful for God’s protection today—and we’re trusting Him to provide through the hands and hearts of our community,” Camp Barnabas wrote on Facebook.
ADVICE FOR DEALING WITH STORM ANXIETY WHEN SEVERE WEATHER THREATENS
Further south, radar estimates showed thunderstorms produced 3 to 6 inches of rain across parts of Oklahoma.
The heavy rainfall caused troopers to shut down northbound Interstate 35 at Interstate 44 in the Oklahoma City metro due to significant flooding.
Motorists were reminded not to drive into standing water and to use caution during the torrential downpours.
