A severe storm swept through western Pennsylvania Tuesday evening, leaving hundreds of thousands of utility customers without power and causing widespread damage. High winds, in some areas exceeding 80 to 90 miles per hour, downed trees and power lines across the region.
One fatality was reported in Pittsburgh when a man was electrocuted by live wires, according to the city’s public safety department. The fast-moving squall line tore roofs from buildings and uprooted trees soaked by recent rains.
The storm contributed to more than 700,000 power outages across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast by late Tuesday. In Pennsylvania alone, more than 566,000 customers lost electricity as winds whipped through the state. Customers served by utilities including Duquesne Light were among those affected.
The power outages resulted in "multiple regional phone system disruptions," according to officials, who stated emergency services were coordinating with utility companies to restore power.
Allegheny County authorities urged residents to remain home as "dangerous conditions persist" following the storm's passage.
Several school districts outside Pittsburgh announced closures or delayed starts for Wednesday due to the damage, according to reports. ([(Source)](https://www.wtae.com/weather/closings))
The National Weather Service Pittsburgh office noted the wind damage across southern Ohio and into western Pennsylvania was stronger than many smaller tornadoes, but covered a much wider area. ([(Source)](https://x.com/NWSPittsburgh/status/1917358505629040647/photo/1))
The severe weather was part of a larger system impacting over a dozen states from Texas to New York throughout Tuesday, with millions potentially at risk of severe thunderstorms. Data from https://poweroutage.us/ tracked the scope of outages across the affected areas.
Forecasters warned of continued storm potential Wednesday in other parts of the country, though widespread chances of damaging storms were expected to fade later in the week.
