Wednesday’s winter storm ripped through Derry Township during the afternoon hours, toppling trees and utility lines and damaging buildings.
Areas of the township were pummeled by high winds roaring down from Derry Ridge to the east, said Bradenville Fire Chief Mark Piantine.
“We had a lot of trees and wires down,” he said, including along Pandora Road and in the villages of Brenizer and Torrance. “It’s unbelievable how windy it is.”
No storm-related injuries were reported as of 6 p.m.
Part of a tree fell on a mail truck, Piantine said. According to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher, a branch was removed from the vehicle and it was able to continue on its way.
Two people were displaced from their mobile home along Pine Street in the village of Peanut when the wind tore off the roof, Piantine said. He said the Westmoreland County Animal Response Team (CART) arrived to assist with more than a dozen cats that were inside the home.
The winds also damaged panels of a greenhouse at Derry Area High School, according to Piantine.
He said Bradenville firefighters had responded to 14 storm calls by about 4 p.m., when they were dispatched to another.
Neighboring fire departments from Derry Borough, New Alexandria, Lloydsville, Youngstown, Ligonier, Blairsville and Black Lick assisted.
