Philadelphia thunderstorm damage: Falling trees crush cars, winds rip off roofs, knock down trees
Mayor Parker gives update on Philadelphia thunderstorm damage
Severe thunderstorms swept through Philadelphia on Saturday, bringing down trees and wires, and damaging several Philadelphia Housing Authority buildings, according to Mayor Cherelle Parker.
PHILADELPHIA - Heavy downpours moved through the Philadelphia region on Saturday, prompting severe weather alerts and bringing flooding, downed trees and power outages.
Severe thunderstorm warnings
What we know:
A major storm moved in shortly before 3 p.m. Saturday, with heavy downpours, high winds and lightning.
The storm led the National Weather Service to issue severe thunderstorm warnings across southeastern Pennsylvania and southwestern New Jersey, including parts of Montgomery County, Delaware County and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, and Camden and Gloucester Counties in New Jersey.
Storm damages
Why you should care:
Several residents in parts of Bucks and Delaware counties reported heavy winds with driving rain. In Haverford Township, officials received at least one report of lightning hitting a home.
In Philadelphia, winds brought down trees on several cars and in some cases, taking power lines down with them. During a press conference Saturday, PECO officials said they're working to outages in multiple areas. As of 10 p.m. Saturday, their outage map reports that more than 26,000 customers are without power.
Severe thunderstorms cause damage across Philadelphia region
Severe thunderstorms and winds swept through the Delaware Valley on Saturday, flooding streets and businesses, and knocking down trees and power lines.
In West Philadelpha, winds from the storm ripped the insulation off the roofs of several Philadelphia Housing Authority buildings, which led to water getting into the building, according to Mayor Cherelle Parker. Eleven units were damaged, and the families have been temporarily relocated.
In Camden County, New Jersey, Tony Morelli's Market reported severe flooding, with shin-level water throughout the store and nearby intersection.
State of emergency
After storms swept through Montgomery County Saturday, Lower Merion Township declared a state of emergency because of damage and flooding.
Local police said they are "aware of the numerous reports of trees and wires down, and many roadways are blocked. Please stay at home and off the roads. The Township is working to resolve these issues as fast as we can."
What's Sunday's forecast?
What's next:
Sunday is expected to be clearer and much less humid, before the humidity comes back in time for the MLB All-Star Game in Philadelphia on Tuesday.
The Source: Information in this story is from the National Weather Service and reports from residents across the Philadelphia region.