Severe storms battered south-central Pennsylvania overnight Saturday into Sunday, bringing damaging winds, torrential rain, and widespread power outages to the region. At the storm’s peak, nearly 10,000 FirstEnergy customers lost electricity as downed trees and debris blocked roads and snapped power lines.
One of the worst-hit locations was Grim Hollow Road in Red Lion. Just after midnight, a lightning strike felled a large tree, dragging power lines with it. Crews worked for over 12 hours to restore service to affected homes.
Residents across the region reported a sleepless night filled with the hum of chainsaws and the flicker of emergency lights as crews cleared roads and restored access. In Red Lion, some were jolted awake by lightning strikes and sudden darkness, with no air conditioning or fans to provide relief in the humid aftermath.
Despite the disruption, many residents expressed gratitude for the fast response by emergency crews and utility workers who worked through the night. The storm marks the second major weather event to impact the area in under a week, with more than 200,000 outages reported across Pennsylvania since Tuesday.
With additional rain in the forecast, authorities are urging residents to stay alert and report outages by calling 1-888-LIGHTSS or texting OUT to 544487.
Source: USA Today