PITTSBURGH — Storms swept through the Pittsburgh area Sunday night, knocking out power for thousands of people, bringing down trees and forcing road closures.
As the cleanup continues, more storms are possible Monday.
If you want to receive alerts about weather, download our Severe Weather Team 11 app.
UPDATE 6:22 p.m.:
Duquesne Light has nearly 230 employees working to restore power throughout Allegheny and Beaver counties.
At one point last night, nearly 20,000 people were in the dark.
“We have people working around the clock. We have high confidence we’ll be able to pick everyone up by late this evening,” explained a spokesperson for the company.
In the immediate aftermath of last night’s storm, Duquesne Light’s website was down for several hours and the phone lines were tied up. A spokesperson for the utility company said they are looking into what caused the failures in the system.
Tree removal companies across Allegheny County are also slammed right now.
The owner of one tree removal company we spoke to over the phone told us he is so busy with calls that his clients are on a waiting list.
The owner of the tree squad company is busy making rounds, taking jobs one at a time.
UPDATE 5:18 p.m: Channel 11 was there when power lines caught on fire in Reserve Township.
When our photographer was able to zoom in, you could see multiple wires were on fire.
For hours, Mount Troy Road in Reserve Township was shut down while crews worked to get the flames under control.
Also, thousands of homes lost power as trees came crashing down and some neighborhoods dealt with flooding.
One of the hardest-hit areas was Ross Township.
This afternoon our Aaron Martin saw crews repairing a utility pole on Brethauer Avenue near Nelson Run Road.
The damage didn’t stop in Ross though. Our Michelle Newell said the usually peaceful Schenely Heights now looks like a mangled jungle families are trying to trek through.
Watch the video below to hear neighbors and crews tell Channel 11 about how long the neighborhoods could be without power and what it will take to clean the mess up.
UPDATE 4:04 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning is in effect for Indiana, Fayette Washington and Westmoreland counties until 4:45 p.m.
Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Greensburg PA, Jeannette PA, Mount Pleasant PA until 4:45 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/aZLGdEHRo1
— NWS Pittsburgh (@NWSPittsburgh) June 14, 2021
UPDATE 3:26 p.m.: Pools in Allegheny County have been closed due to heavy weather moving through the area.
UPDATE 3:10 p.m.: A New Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for Allegheny, Westmoreland and Washington counties until 3:30 p.m.
Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Pittsburgh PA, Bethel Park PA, West Mifflin PA until 3:30 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/d4qU5GDUPH
— NWS Pittsburgh (@NWSPittsburgh) June 14, 2021
UPDATE 2:36 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning is in effect for Allegheny, Beaver and Washington counties until 3 p.m.
Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Upper Saint Clair PA, Carnot-Moon PA, Dormont PA until 3:00 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/1ZDZRsjWnN
— NWS Pittsburgh (@NWSPittsburgh) June 14, 2021
UPDATE 2:10 p.m.: Mount Troy Road has been closed from Geyer Road to Hoffman Road due to power lines catching fire.
Wires on fire in the 3700 block of Mt. Troy Road, Reserve Twp. Road closed at Hoffman Blvd. #WPXI #PGH #Pittsburgh pic.twitter.com/mDEpu6UprN
— Tony Ruffolo (@WPXITonyRuffolo) June 14, 2021
UPDATE 1:44 p.m.: Harry Street in North Oakland as some pretty rough damage. Neighbors in the area told our Michele Newell that they haven’t had power since last night.
More storm damage. This is along Harry st. in North Oakland. Neighbors haven’t had power since last night. #wpxi #stormdamage pic.twitter.com/dYHIu0MVdA
— Michele Newell (@micheleWPXI) June 14, 2021
UPDATE 12:50 p.m.: Local businesses are also being affected by damage caused by recent storms.
Some have been forced to lose a whole day’s worth of business, try to find a workaround for power issues or a combination of the two.
The North Park Golf Course is only able to accept cash, due to a loss of power.
Due to power issues, the North Park Golf Course will be accepting cash only and the concession stands will be closed until further notice.
— Allegheny County (@Allegheny_Co) June 14, 2021
Learn more about North Park and South Park golf courses here: https://t.co/jX3DMZpT1Z pic.twitter.com/D5ysjU9QPq
UPDATE 11:50 a.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for southwestern Pennsylvania, as well as parts of West Virginia and Ohio, until 6 p.m.
There is a SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH until 6 PM.
— Jessica Faith (@JessicaWPXI) June 14, 2021
I’ll have the latest details on today’s severe weather threat from 12-1 PM on @WPXI pic.twitter.com/PVKsVT38Cv
UPDATE 11:45 a.m.: Water quickly rose in Pittsburgh’s Point Breeze neighborhood Sunday night, leaving behind a mess that required the use of heavy machinery to clean up on Monday.
People who live along Reynolds Street said the water got at least three feet high, and cars got stuck in it.
“We saw the water rising to the running boards on the cars. I called my neighbor and told him to move his car and, fortunately, he was lucky and was able to do that. The other two cars weren’t as lucky,” Bob Shreve, of Point Breeze, said.
A few streets over on Penham Place, a large tree uprooted and came down onto the back of an SUV.
A handful of other trees also fell in the area, as did wires.
UPDATE 11:30 a.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning is in effect for Butler, Mercer and Venango counties until 11:45 a.m.
UPDATE 10:55 a.m.: Morrowfield Avenue in Squirrel Hill is blocked by a large tree that fell.
Morrowfield Ave in Squirrel Hill is completely blocked by a large tree that fell during last night’s storm. #WPXIStorm pic.twitter.com/SCHS0D5d47
— Aaron Martin (@WPXIAaronMartin) June 14, 2021
UPDATE 10:45 a.m.: Several roadways in Shaler Township remain closed Monday after storms led to flooding, downed wires and downed trees. The police department said it is periodically updating the following Facebook post:
The Shaler Township Police Department is currently handling multiple calls for service due to weather related incidents....
Posted by Shaler Township Police Department on Sunday, June 13, 2021
UPDATE 9:40 a.m.: There is a fallen tree on Cumberland Road between McKnight Road and Babcock Boulevard in McCandless.
DOWNED TREE on Cumberland Rd between McKnight and Babcock in McCandless. #PittsburghTraffic #WPXI pic.twitter.com/h3Wnz8AkVk
— WPXI Traffic (@WPXITraffic) June 14, 2021
UPDATE 8 a.m.: About 10,000 Duquesne Light customers are still without power. Crews are working to restore all service by 11:45 p.m., though many customers will get power back sooner.
— Duquesne Light (@DuquesneLight) June 14, 2021
UPDATE 7:25 a.m.: Standing water is covering part of Reynolds Street at South Murtland Street in Pittsburgh’s Point Breeze neighborhood.
STANDING WATER on Reynolds Street at South Murtland in Point Breeze. #PittsburghTraffic #WPXI https://t.co/UyYsfsftyh pic.twitter.com/lwXvO1zVbr
— WPXI Traffic (@WPXITraffic) June 14, 2021
UPDATE 6:50 a.m.: Downed wires have part of Route 50 closed in Mount Pleasant Township, Washington County.
HEADS UP: Downed Wires has a portion of Route 50/Main St CLOSED in Mount Pleasant Township, Washington Co. #PittsburghTraffic #WPXI https://t.co/UyYsfsftyh pic.twitter.com/3v1tLZ6aK0
— WPXI Traffic (@WPXITraffic) June 14, 2021
UPDATE 6:30 a.m.: Duquesne Light said service is expected to be restored to all its customers by 11:45 p.m. Monday, but many will have power back sooner.
West Penn Power said power will be restored to customers in Washington and Westmoreland counties throughout the morning, with the majority getting service back by noon. The estimated restoration time for Allegheny County is about 2 p.m.
CLICK HERE for the latest on Duquesne Light’s power outages and HERE for West Penn Power’s outages.
UPDATE 5:15 a.m.: In Pittsburgh’s Point Breeze neighborhood, Reynolds Street is closed in the area of Bucknell Street because of water on the roadway. Penn Avenue is closed between Dallas and Linden avenues because of downed wires. On nearby Penham Place, a large tree is down.
Big tree down on Penham Place. One street over is Penn Ave. It’s closed between Dallas and S Linden Ave. Looks like wires are down. Closure comes up quick. Heard screeching tires at least 5 times already. @WPXI pic.twitter.com/bEIeRAP05q
— Alyssa Raymond (@AlyssaRaymond) June 14, 2021
UPDATE 4:30 a.m.: Thousands of people remain without power Monday morning, with many of the outages in Pittsburgh’s North Hills.
Lane restrictions are in place along Babcock Boulevard in the area of Hemlock Drive in McCandless Township as power crews work to restore service in that area.
CLICK HERE for the latest on Duquesne Light’s power outages and HERE for West Penn Power’s outages.
UPDATE 11:00 p.m.: Duquesne Light reports they have 5,000 customers without power - down from more than 20,000 earlier this evening.
West Penn Power reports they have more than 1,600 customers in Allegheny County without service - most of them in McCandless.
UPDATE 10:25 p.m.: Drivers encountered flash flooding in Pleasant Hills.
A viewer sent this from Route 51 at Lewis Run Road.
A few images from the rapid flooding and rescue attempts made in Pleasant Hills on RT 51 at Lewis Run Road (by Sheetz/Dean Honda) @Allegheny_Co @WPXI pic.twitter.com/FAKL0TL1bM
— Ed Thompson (@ThompsonFoto12) June 14, 2021
UPDATE 9:30 p.m.: Cleanup is underway in neighborhoods across Pittsburgh.
A viewer sent this from Point Breeze.
Point Breeze after the storm. First pic is my parents’ house and we got lucky the pine tree missed. Flooding at Reynolds and Murtland with cars trapped. @KDKA @DKaplanWTAE @WTAE @WPXI pic.twitter.com/PfV1ROz14j
— Matthew Jacob 🤷♂️ (@mjacobpgh) June 14, 2021
UPDATE 8:40 p.m.: There’s been another report of flooding in the Squirrel Hill area.
376 on ramp to Monroeville. @WPXI @WPXIAaronMartin pic.twitter.com/I05BfIW5F5
— Jamison Combs (@JamisonCombs) June 14, 2021
UPDATE 8:25 p.m.: Flash flooding could continue to be an issue throughout the evening as waters rise.
A viewer sent this from South Oakland.
Channel 11 has contacted Duquesne Light for information on how many outages there currently are.
A viewer took this picture after almost getting stuck on Second Avenue and Swinburne Street. https://t.co/b4ytkFpPFj @WPXI @StephAllisonWx pic.twitter.com/vqY2Q0Wygg
— Ryan Houston WPXI (@WPXIRyanHouston) June 14, 2021
UPDATE 7:30 p.m.: A Flash Flood Warning will be in effect for parts of Washington and Allegheny counties until 9:15 p.m.
⚠️Flash Flood Warning for central Washington and SW Allegheny counties until 9:15 pm -Includes Upper St Clair, McMurray, Venetia and Kammerer #wpxi #wpxistorm pic.twitter.com/aYuBCjDwdy
— Stephanie Allison (@StephAllisonWx) June 13, 2021
Flooding continues to be reported around the North Hills, including on Seavey Road in Shaler.
Check out all this flooding on Seavey Road in Shaler.
— Ryan Houston WPXI (@WPXIRyanHouston) June 13, 2021
Please be careful. https://t.co/b4ytkFpPFj @StephAllisonWx @WPXI pic.twitter.com/yFvV3K6PfK
A tree fell onto a man’s car in McCandless, but fortunately, he wasn’t hurt.
One lucky driver on Cumberland drive in #McCandles escaped injury when this tree fell ON his car. Neighbors told me that he walked away with just some frayed nerves and an amazing story. #wpxi #stormdamage Watch for more on @WPXI pic.twitter.com/V1qV45t6Pp
— @k00nixWPXI (@K00nix_Photog) June 13, 2021
UPDATE 7:05 p.m.: Watch the video below for the latest on the storms, from Chief Meteorologist Stephen Cropper.
UPDATE 6:50 p.m.: Chief Meteorologist Stephen Cropper says the storms appear to be weakening.
The National Weather Service is reporting many instances of wind damage to structures.
A viewer sent in this picture of lighting striking over the Alleghney River near Blawnox. @WPXI https://t.co/qNAsqZOnoU pic.twitter.com/cfzgII0JMk
— Ryan Houston WPXI (@WPXIRyanHouston) June 13, 2021
UPDATE 6:45 p.m.: The Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been allowed to expire.
Most of the area is under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 7 p.m.
UPDATE 6:35 p.m.: Drivers report power outages on Babcock Boulevard in Ross Township.
There are huge trees blocking Cemetery Road and Siebert Road.
UPDATE 6:30 p.m.: All Allegheny County pools have closed for the day because of the inclement weather.
Due to inclement weather, pools in Boyce, North, Settles Cabin, and South parks are closed for the remainder of the day, June 13.
— Allegheny County (@Allegheny_Co) June 13, 2021
Pools will reopen tomorrow, weather and conditions permitting.
For more information on the Allegheny County pools, visit https://t.co/s6NHhbjw1n pic.twitter.com/GFrfGOOPBB
UPDATE 6:25 p.m.: West Penn Power reports around 1,200 customers without electricity, the majority of which are in the McCandless area.
Duquesne Light’s website outage map is not loading properly.
UPDATE 6 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning for parts of Washington, Allegheny and Westmoreland counties is in effect until 6:45 p.m.
A Flash Flood Warning has also been issued for southeastern Allegheny County and southwestern Westmoreland County.
The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for all local counties until 7 p.m.
ORIGINAL STORY: Thunderstorms are tracking southeastward with the potential to be severe, including high damaging winds and large hail.
Showers and storms will be scattered, meaning they won’t be everywhere all at the same time. If you find a dry slot today and plan to spend time outside, remember “when thunder roars go indoors.”
Wet weather decreases tonight and picks up again tomorrow afternoon. Cooler air moves in late Monday and cooler and drier weather settles in during the middle of the week.
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