Valley cleans up from severe wind damage

Gusts up to 70 mph on Friday knocked out power and kept area first responders scrambling.

Communities across the Mon Valley spent the weekend hunkering down and cleaning up after powerful winds tore through the region Friday night, downing trees, damaging power lines and leaving thousands without electricity.

Wind gusts reaching 60 to 70 mph were reported across parts of southwestern Pennsylvania, according to regional utility companies and emergency management officials.

The strong winds caused widespread damage to trees and electrical infrastructure, prompting hundreds of emergency calls and ongoing restoration efforts throughout the weekend.

According to the Washington County Department of Public Safety, the storm prompted a surge in emergency activity, with dispatchers handling 1,784 calls for service during the windstorm.

Fire departments across the region spent much of Friday evening and into the weekend responding to storm-related emergencies as crews worked to clear roads, extinguish brush fires and secure hazardous power lines.

Officials said many emergency personnel remained on duty past their scheduled shifts and others reported back on their days off to help manage the high call volume and coordinate responses across the county.

Emergency responses across the region

Local fire departments responded to numerous incidents caused by the high winds as large trees were snapped or uprooted, blocking roadways and bringing down utility lines.

In the aftermath, departments across the area shared photos of fallen trees, brush fires and storm damage on social media following continuous days of emergency responses.

Many departments reported handling multiple calls at the same time as the storm moved through Friday evening.

The Charleroi Fire Department responded to several emergencies across the borough and surrounding area involving downed trees and power lines. Some roadways were temporarily closed while firefighters waited for West Penn Power crews to secure electrical hazards.

Elsewhere in the Mon Valley, firefighters battled brush fires sparked during the storm, believed to have been caused by downed electrical lines or debris contacting energized wires during the high winds.

One of the larger incidents occurred in Carroll Township, where firefighters responded to a brush fire believed to have been sparked by downed high-tension power lines along Route 837 off Dry Run Road that spread up a hillside toward Fourth Street.

The blaze spread quickly across a steep hillside, requiring crews to attack the fire from both the top and bottom of the slope in order to contain the flames.

Crews from several departments assisted at the scene.

According to Donora Volunteer Fire Company, crews were already assisting Carroll Township on a reported structure fire on Country Club Road when additional emergency calls began coming in across the area.

Reports included multiple wires down, brush fires, a possible structure fire at a local business and several trees down throughout the area.

Donora firefighters were dispatched to the brush fire along Route 837, where crews worked with other responding agencies to contain the flames and prevent the blaze from spreading deeper into nearby wooded areas.

“While operating at a rather large brush fire caused by downed high-tension power lines, crews encountered several hazards while working to contain the blaze,” Donora VFC wrote on social media. “Despite the dangerous conditions, firefighters were able to safely control and extinguish the fire.”

The Lock No. 4 Volunteer Fire Company also responded while handling other storm-related calls, including removing a fallen tree that knocked out power near the Charleroi-Monessen Bridge.

The fire company said its

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Friday night bingo was underway when firefighters were first dispatched to a report of a tree down near the bridge. Crews cleared the roadway before being dispatched to assist the Carroll Township Fire Department on a report of smoke in a commercial structure.

As firefighters arrived on scene, they were also requested to assist with the brush fire along Route 837. Lock No. 4 volunteers responded to both incidents simultaneously and later assisted with an EMS call in North Charleroi Borough.

The Monongahela Fire Department reported responding to 11 calls Friday, including downed wires and two possible structure fires later determined to be electrical issues and the Carroll Township brush fire.

The Gallatin Sunnyside Volunteer Fire Department also reported responding to multiple incidents during the storm, including the brush fire.

“With the amount of calls that were handled by all emergency crews in and around the area, the power companies are inundated with calls of their own,” the department stated in a social media post urging residents to remain patient as repairs continue.

The Rostraver Township Volunteer Fire Department was also busy, responding to more than 20 calls for service during the high winds.

Most incidents occurred within Rostraver Township and were handled by Rostraver firefighters alongside the Collinsburg Volunteer Fire Company and Rostraver Township Police Department.

Crews were also called to assist with the brush fire in Carroll Township before later providing station coverage for Jefferson Hills Fire-Rescue while that department responded to a dwelling fire.

Storm damage also forced numerous roadway closures across the region with dozens of roads temporarily closed after trees and power lines were brought down by Friday night’s high winds.

Widespread power outages

At the height of the storm Friday evening, about 260,000 customers served by West Penn Power and Duquesne Light across the region were without electricity.

As of Friday night, Duquesne Light reported about 151,000 outages in Allegheny County alone.

West Penn Power also reported widespread outages across the region, including roughly 26,500 customers in Washington County, 26,300 in Westmoreland County, about 20,700 in Allegheny County and approximately 13,800 in Fayette County.

Utility crews have since made significant progress restoring service.

According to West Penn Power, approximately 118,000 customers were affected within its service territory, with more than 104,000 customers restored as of Sunday.

More than 800 additional line workers and support personnel joined restoration efforts to assist with repairs across the region.

Meanwhile, Duquesne Light Company reported that at the peak of the storm about 163,000 customers lost electricity across its service territory. Crews have restored power to more than 130,000 customers, representing about 80% of those impacted.

Duquesne Light said most remaining customers were expected to have power restored by 10 p.m. Monday, though a small number of outages involving extensive damage or private property repairs could take longer.

As of Sunday afternoon, Duquesne Light reported 29,244 customers still without power, with the majority located in Allegheny County.

West Penn Power reported 2,538 customers without service in Washington County, 2,342 in Westmoreland County, 2,135 in Allegheny County and more than 2,789 in Butler County.

Emergency officials reminded residents to treat all downed power lines as energized and dangerous and to avoid traveling in areas where trees, debris or electrical hazards remain.

Community impacts and assistance

The storm also disrupted local events and community spaces across the Mon Valley.

The California Area School District postponed performances of the high school musical Mary Poppins after the campus lost power during Friday’s storm.

Despite the outage during opening night, students briefly continued the performance before the audience was dismissed.

“This remarkable group of students, our amazing cast and crew of CAHS Drama Club production of Mary Poppins were faced with incredible adversity this evening as we lost power on campus and unfortunately had to cancel our opening night,” the district posted on social media. “But this crew insisted that the show must go on and performed ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ a cappella, in generator lighting, before dismissing all of those in attendance.”

The performances have been rescheduled for Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 7:30 p.m.

Previously purchased tickets will remain valid for the corresponding day of the week and seat location.

The outages also forced the cancellation of other local events.

Organizers of the Charleroi Harvest Bounty Vendor Show canceled the event scheduled for Saturday. The vendor show is the nonprofit’s largest annual fundraiser and helps provide food for children in the Charleroi Area School District to take home each weekend.

Storm damage was also reported at the community garden at Mounds Park, where a large tree fell and damaged fencing surrounding the garden area.

Some municipalities opened temporary warming locations during the outages, including a center at the Elizabeth Township Volunteer Fire Department, while other shelters and community facilities across the region were made available for residents needing assistance.

Weather outlook

Forecasters say another round of unsettled weather could move through the region early this week.

According to the National Weather Service, a strong cold front is expected to cross the area today, bringing a line of showers and thunderstorms through eastern Ohio during the pre-dawn hours before moving across northern West Virginia and Pennsylvania during the morning.

While the timing may reduce the risk of severe weather for much of the region, storms could strengthen as they move east.

Areas east of Pittsburgh are under a Level 2 out of 5 risk for severe weather, while the greatest threat is expected farther east where a Level 4 out of 5 risk has been issued.

The primary threat with any stronger storms will be damaging wind.