Severe storms hit Pittsburgh, leaving 2 dead and over 400,000 without power
Storms hit Pittsburgh leaving 2 dead and over 400,000 without power (Photo: Credit: KDKA)
Severe storms with wind gusts up to 70 miles per hour swept through Pittsburgh and surrounding areas, causing destruction, power outages, and fatalities, reports CBS news.
On Tuesday evening, powerful thunderstorms struck southwestern Pennsylvania, leaving more than 400,000 customers without electricity.
Tree blocks school zone after storm winds (Photo: Credit: KDKA)
According to Allegheny County officials, at least two people died as a result of the storm.
One person was fatally electrocuted on the South Side Slopes in Pittsburgh. Details about the second fatality have not yet been disclosed.
Backyard shed crushed by uprooted tree (Photo: Credit: KDKA)
A state of emergency was declared in the Forest Hills area. Mayor Frank Porco urged residents to stay home and monitor official updates: "Remain vigilant as crews continue restoration efforts."
Massive tree collapses on home in Robinson Township (Photo: Credit: KDKA)
As of Wednesday morning, Duquesne Light and First Energy reported hundreds of thousands of customers still without power in Allegheny, Washington, Indiana, and other counties.
Storm topples tree onto baseball field dugout (Photo: Credit: KDKA)
Uprooted tree reveals power of high winds (Photo: Credit: KDKA)
Damaged buildings, fallen trees, and destruction at the US Open venue
On Pittsburgh's South Side, strong winds tore the roof off the PerLora furniture store, sending it crashing onto the intersection near the Birmingham Bridge.
The popular Fiori's pizza shop was also damaged. "Oh boy, they'll fix it," said owner Fiore Moscatiello with tears in his eyes.
The storm also impacted preparations for the 2025 US Open at Oakmont Country Club, damaging a VIP tent near the third hole.
Downtown street blocked by torn-off rooftop (Photo: Credit: KDKA)
According to the USGA, no staff members were injured, and repairs are expected to take about ten days.
While residents tally the damages, power crews and emergency services are working around the clock to return the region to normal life.
Large tree snapped and downed in storm aftermath (Photo: Credit: KDKA)
Europe also faced a major power crisis just days earlier
Europe was also hit recently: just two days before the Pittsburgh disaster, a massive blackout swept across Spain, Portugal, Andorra, and parts of southern France, leaving millions without power.
According to preliminary reports from REN, a fire near Mount Alaric in southwestern France may have caused the outage.
A state of emergency was declared in several regions of Spain as millions were left without power amid a massive blackout affecting transportation and telecommunications.
Restoration efforts began the next day — power was restored to 750,000 residents in Portugal, and over 35% of capacity was recovered in Spain.
