Downed trees and wires were being remedied Sunday throughout the region, while nearly 23,000 customers were without power after wind gusts as fast as 55 mph swept through.
Colton Milcarek, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Moon, said the area experienced wind gusts of 45 to 55 mph Saturday afternoon and evening.
The winds were responsible for a multitude of 911 calls and six flights had to be diverted Saturday afternoon from Pittsburgh International Airport, said spokesman Bobby Kerlik. By 7 p.m., most of the flights had returned to Pittsburgh.
A Westmoreland County 911 shift supervisor said calls about the wind started trickling in about 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
“Then, all of a sudden, all hell broke loose,” he said. “It started in Monessen and Rostraver and was working its way up [Interstate] 70.
“There’s trees and wires down everywhere, but nothing major.”
WATCH: In the aftermath of a storm, our priority is to identify hazards like downed wires to make them safe for the public and our crews before they can begin to assess damage, make repairs and provide restoration estimates. Learn more about the process: https://t.co/1zwy2tPlqO pic.twitter.com/NfXnLmc8X0
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Milcarek said that the winds were a result of atmospheric mixing occurring a few hundred to a few thousand feet off the ground.
“We’ve been basically churning up the atmosphere like boiling a big pot of water,” he said.
The mixing was caused by a combination of factors, Milcarek said, including the region being stuck between a strong low-pressure system that brought rain on Friday, and a high-pressure system moving in on Sunday.
The high-pressure system, Milcarek said, will bring with it a lovely, clear day that is dry and temperate.
Although wind gusts at 40 mph are known to lead to broken branches, recent rainfall contributed to the downed trees, as well.
“When we have saturated soils, it’s easier to knock down trees because the roots will be looser,” Milcarek said.
West Penn Power was reporting about 11,700 customers in Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler and Westmoreland counties without power in the region Sunday morning. Duquesne Light Company’s current outage section of its website said that 11,000 customers were impacted.
