First Alert Weather: Thousands without power after wind and rain move through
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Aside from the rain starting a little later than expected on Friday, everything else has been holding together.
We are still operating under First Alert, as the ice storm warning continues in Garett County, Maryland, and the high wind warnings remain in place.
The winds will continue to increase Friday evening. Some gusts could reach 60 to 65 mph. Gusts that strong could lead to damage, and the strongest winds in our area will likely hang out in Indiana, Westmoreland, Fayette, Somerset and Garett counties.
As of midnight, more than 20,000 FirstEnergy customers are without power in Fayette County while more than 12,000 FirstEnergy customers are without power in Westmoreland County.
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With several ice reports already coming in from Garrett County, strong wind gusts could pose a problem with downed trees and powerlines. Since the trees already have added weight from the ice, strong winds could become a major issue there.
Outside of the aforementioned counties, everyone else is under a wind advisory. Wind gusts up to 50 mph are possible in these locations.
The winds will ease up a bit overnight but remain quite gusty Saturday morning. They will calm down during the afternoon. Heading to Sunday, much more quiet conditions are expected.
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