Police respond to call at 1550 University Drive in State College after a severe storm passed through the area on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. Abby Drey [email protected]

A 22-year-old man died Tuesday night after he was electrocuted near a utility pole during a storm in the State College area, according to the State College Police Department.

The man’s identity is being withheld pending notification of relatives, police said.

According to a news release issued by police, the man was attempting to put out a mulch fire in the 1500 block of University Drive when he encountered an active electric current from a nearby utility pole. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

State College police, Alpha Fire Company and Centre LifeLink EMS all responded shortly after 7:15 p.m. The release noted that the death came during a severe storm that rolled through Centre County on Tuesday night.

The National Weather Service warned of wind gusts that could reach 80 mph, and more than 35,000 in the county lost power from a storm that largely dissipated within 30 minutes. Numerous roads were blocked with downed trees and power lines, while various reports of significant damage surfaced across the area.

The eastern part of Centre County was under a severe thunderstorm watch until 7:30 p.m.

“Please do not approach downed lines or areas where lines may be compromised,” the police press release read. “Notify 911 or utility companies of such circumstances and avoid those areas.”

Both Centre County’s Emergency Management Agency and the Pennsylvania State Police told the CDT on Wednesday morning they were not aware of any other fatalities or significant injuries in the county from Tuesday’s storm.

This still marks the area’s second reported death from electrocution since March. A 23-year-old State College man, Gelin Tong, died March 16 after stepping on a downed power line after a powerful storm.

This story was originally published April 29, 2025 at 10:27 PM.