Powerful Storms Leave Damage Behind In Allegheny County
VERONA (KDKA)- Strong storms ripped through the area on Monday night, leaving some damage behind.
In Verona, the storm knocked a big tree into a house near the corner of Dewayne and Richmore Drives.
The tree crashed inside the home, leaving the dining room a mess. It broke through the roof and broke windows and just missed an older couple inside.
Katie O'Connor, 9, vividly remembers the sound of her next-door neighbor's tree crashing to the ground.
"It felt like an earthquake," O'Connor said. "I was really scared."
Neighbors still can't believe the storm uprooted the massive tree.
"That tree was huge," neighbor Jesse Landman said. "I'm glad they're alright and no one was in the dining room at the time."
Neighbors said the woman was in the living room and her husband was upstairs in the front bedroom. The tree came crashing down on top of the back bedroom and into the dining room below.
"My parents went down and made sure they were okay because it went down through the house and broke down the chandelier in the dining room," O'Connor said.
Fortunately, there were no reports of any injuries.
In nearby Plum, Duquesne Light fixed a downed telephone pole. Center New Texas Road at Saltsburg Road was closed to traffic until the pole was repaired.
In Shaler, a tree on Sharps Hill Road was knocked over by the storm.
The large tree was blocking part of the road and it fell on some power lines.
Police blocked off Sharps Hill Road for several hours overnight.
And in Lawrenceville, a transformer blew along Butler Street, near 53rd Street.
Police had to block off the street for several hours while power crews tried to fix the problem.
However, back in Verona, repairs won't be as quick.
"Hopefully, they can rebuild. We always keep an eye on our neighbors," Landman said.
Neighbors said the couple is staying with family until they figure out what they need to do to get the tree off of their home and what repairs need to be made.
Duquesne Light reported 5,000 power outages at the height of the storm. As of noon, there are still about 1,500 without power.
Service was expected to be restored by 8 p.m.
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