Delaware County Hit Hard By Storm Damage
By Jan Carabeo, Mike DeNardo
CHESTER HEIGHTS, Pa. (CBS) --- Delaware County declared a County State of Emergency Wednesday morning after severe storms hit the area hard Tuesday evening.
In Chester Heights, downed trees caused traffic hazards lasting through Wednesday morning.
PECO reported more than 90,000 customers without power in Delaware County alone, as of early morning on Wednesday. The power company warns that it might not be until Friday when all the power is restored, especially in the hardest hit areas.
On a nearby road, a centuries old tree came crashing down on a home last night, sending at least one person to the hospital for evaluation.
Middletown Township in Delaware County was among the areas especially rocked by last night's severe thunderstorm.
The strong winds left a wake of severed and ripped tree limbs that landed across roads, houses and cars. Daria Lissy couldn't believe the power of the storm.
"We're grateful it wasn't worse. Nothing fell on the house. But I was astonished that in such a short period of time, it could be so brutal. Almost like a tornado, knocking big trees down. Big branches of trees. And everywhere, just branches all over the place," Lissy said.
Drivers were frustrated, because it seemed that nearly every road had at least a lane blocked by limbs, if not entire trees.
There are similar sites all across the Delaware Valley. The storm has left behind downed trees and impassible roads. Some stop lights have been taken down by branches and many were remaining in the dark this morning because of power outages.
PECO urges patience while crews work to get the power back on. For neighborhoods hit by serious storm damage, the cleanup will take time.