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Thousands without power as dangerous winds hit before Christmas
Dangerous winds caused major problems for people in the Philly area Friday including one man who was nearly trapped inside his car by a downed tree.
PHILADELPHIA - As the last weekend before Christmas unfolds, many are out shopping, but strong winds are causing chaos for homes and businesses alike.
Power outages and community response
Dangerous winds have left more than 30,000 PPL customers, over 7,000 PECO customers, and more than 2,000 PSE&G customers without power.
Shawnette Wilson from FOX 29 spoke with locals dealing with the harsh weather.
Nina D'Iorio, a resident of Tredyffrin Township, described hearing a loud cracking noise before witnessing a tree fall on a car.
"I thought instantly, oh my goodness, I hope this car isn't crushed by this tree," she said.
Fortunately, the driver was unharmed but visibly shaken, said Joe Romano, a neighbor who rushed to help.
Dig deeper:
The incident occurred in Tredyffrin Township, where a PECO worker confirmed that strong winds caused the tree to fall, damaging the car and bringing down power lines.
D'Iorio and her neighbors were running on generators, but she expressed relief that the driver was safe.
"That's a small consolation. This man is having a much bigger day than we are. We can live without power for one night," she said.
What we don't know:
It remains unclear how long it will take to restore power to the affected areas.