PITTSBURGH – At least three people were killed in Pennsylvania on Tuesday as a storm system that brought severe weather on Sunday and Monday to the central U.S. continued on its eastward trek, causing significant damage and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of people.
According to Pittsburgh Public Safety, units were sent to the 1000 block of St. Martin Street on Tuesday to respond to reports of a man who was electrocuted by live wires. That man, who hasn’t been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene.
In a news release, Allegheny County Emergency Services said a second storm-related death was reported in the county, but details have not yet been released.
Another electrocution death was reported in State College.
According to the State College Police Department, first responders were made aware of a person who was electrocuted near a utility pole on University Drive. When crews arrived, they found a 22-year-old man who had encountered an active electric current while trying to put out a mulch fire.
That man was also pronounced dead at the scene.
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“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 statement. “Public works crews are working to remove debris, and First Energy is working to restore power to the many customers affected by the mass outages in the Centre Region.”
The National Weather Service 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 a half-million customers throughout the region were without power from the severe storms as of Wednesday morning, with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania being the hardest hit.
Most outages were reported around the Pittsburgh metro, which reported a wind gust of 71 mph. Doppler radar indicated wind gusts could have topped 80 mph, with isolated, embedded tornadoes.
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, 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.
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Farther south, radar estimates showed thunderstorms produced 3-6 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.
