Editorial Staff
PITTSBURGH — Multiple tornado touchdowns have been confirmed in the Pittsburgh region today, according to the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh. The incidents occurred in four areas across Western Pennsylvania, including Harrison City in Westmoreland County, and the Lincoln Place and Highland Park neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. Additionally, a tornado touched down in the Elrama area of Washington County.
Reports indicate that the damage incurred, aside from trees and vehicles, has been relatively minimal. However, the storms on Friday resulted in power outages, notably affecting the Highland Park Bridge. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is actively addressing this issue.
Notably, a fifth tornado was reported in Carroll County, Ohio, approximately 75 miles west of Pittsburgh.
These funnel cloud sightings follow a tornado warning issued for parts of the region earlier in the afternoon, with the warning extended to areas including Murrysville, Level Green, and Delmont. A tornado warning is issued when a tornado has been observed or detected by weather radar.
In Highland Park, residents reported incidents such as a tree falling on a vehicle in the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium parking lot, along with downed branches in various parts of the neighborhood. Fortunately, there have been no reports of injuries to individuals within the affected areas.
The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium spokeswoman, Alex Cauley, confirmed that despite the damage assessment underway, all staff, visitors, and animals are safe. She mentioned that everyone was able to shelter in place without harm during the storm.
As the region assesses the aftermath, questions remain regarding the operational status of the zoo for Saturday. However, planned events, such as a high school prom scheduled for Friday night, are expected to proceed as planned.
Though minimal damage to exhibits has been reported, power issues persist within the zoo premises. Updates regarding the zoo’s status are anticipated by Saturday morning.
In addition to tornado-related damage, reports also indicate instances of flooding, particularly on Streets Run Road in Baldwin and Duquesne. Furthermore, flash-flood warnings have been issued for Bethel Park and Monroeville until 8:15 p.m. due to heavy rainfall.
Power companies, including Duquesne Light and West Penn Power, are actively working to restore electricity to affected areas. Duquesne Light reported efforts to restore power to approximately 1,200 customers across ten locations, while West Penn Power has noted only a few outages in its service area.