Power Outage in Lancaster, PA

A severe thunderstorm producing winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down a tree and power lines onto Douts Hill Road to the southeast of Pequea.

A severe thunderstorm producing winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees onto a house in East Hempfield Township, pulling down power lines and causing two propane tanks to leak.

Widespread flash flooding was reported across Lancaster and a small portion of York County.||A dozen water rescue calls were reported for areas including East Hempfield, East Lampeter, Manheim, Providence, Salisbury, Strasburg, Upper Leacock, West Earl and West Hempfield townships.||In addition to the water rescue calls, there were many reports of high water on roads across the Lancaster county, and some residential flooding.||Two rescue calls were for vehicles in water, according to initial dispatch reports, one on Meadow View Drive in West Earl Township just before 4 p.m., and one in the area of East Main Street in Upper Leacock Township just after 4 p.m. ||A third water rescue call was reported in the 300 block of West Main Street in Upper Leacock Township just before 4:30 p.m.||Just before 5 p.m., more water rescue calls were reported: in the 1300 block of Marshall Avenue in Manheim Township; in the 500 block of Weaver Road in Strasburg Township; and at Independence Court and Greenfield Road in East Lampeter Township.||Others followed shortly, at Pennsy Road and Main Street in Providence Township; at Greenfield Road and railroad tracks in East Lampeter Township; at Strasburg Road and Old Strasburg Road in Salisbury Township; and at Lincoln Highway East and North Kinzer Road in Paradise Township. High water was also reported at Old Harrisburg Pike and Spooky Nook Road in West Hempfield Township, and at Snapper Dam Road and Northside Drive in East Hempfield Township. ||Calls for high water on roadway later came from Bowman Road and Parker Drive in East Hempfield Township; Cardinal Road and North Elm Street in Lititz Borough; South 14th Street and Central Avenue in Columbia Borough; and Ruby Street and Froelich Avenue in Mountville Borough.||By 4:40 p.m. the list of calls for high water on roadway included Peace Road in West Earl Township; Church Street and Daryl Drive in East Hempfield Township; West Penn Grant Road and Marticville Road in Pequea Township; and Peach Bottom Road and Beaver Valley Pike in West Lampeter Township.||At 5pm a water rescue was reported at Arsenal Road and North George Stree 1 mile north of York in York County.|||Later reports came from Marticville Road and Goods Run in Pequea Township; Hollinger Road and Millwood Road in West Lampeter Township; Bachmantown Road and South Ronks Road in East Lampeter Township; Snakehill Road and Route 23 in Upper Leacock Township; and Running Pump Road in East Hempfield Township. ||Starting at about 5:30 p.m., high water on roadway reports came for Embassy Drive and Rohrerstown Road in East Hempfield Township; New Holland Avenue and East Ross Street in Lancaster City; and Pleasure Road and Deer Ford Drive in Manheim Township.||Just before 5:30 p.m., PPL's outage center showed 805 customers without power in Lancaster County.

High winds produced widespread damage, including numerous trees and wires being knocked down. At the height of the storm, these 13,000 customers were without power.

Strong to damaging non-thunderstorm winds associated with Hurricane Irene knocked down several trees and utility wires, causing widespread road closures and thousands of power outages. The peak wind gust at Lancaster Airport (LNS) was 53 mph.

Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph uprooted large trees and knocked down numerous wires in and around the city of Lancaster. A few trees fell onto cars and damaged surrounding structures. Several thousand customers lost power in the city.

Non-thunderstorm wind gusts between 55 and 65 mph toppled numerous trees and power lines across Lancaster County. Dozens of downed trees and utility lines were reported from East Drumore to West Donegal Townships. The high winds knocked out power to nearly seven-thousand PPL customers.

Non-thunderstorm winds knocked down several trees, large branches and power lines across Lancaster County. A few trees fell on vehicles, but no injuries were reported. Over one thousand PPL customers were without power.

A moderate to heavy coating of ice was common across the entire Lower Susquehanna Valley. Lancaster County emergency management along with trained spotters reported numerous trees and wires down, which resulted in over 11,000 reported power outages. MetEd electric company reported approximately 64,000 customers without power across the Lower Susquehanna Valley.||A brief period of sleet was observed at the onset of precipitation, but the heavy ice build-up was primarily due to freezing rain.

Lancaster county emergency management reported trees and wires down across portions of Rapho and East Donegal Townships. ||Multiple downbursts produced straight line wind damage (wind gusts of 60-80mph) to farm buildings and at least two homes just east of Route 772 in Rapho Township.||Two silos on Longenecker and Pinkerton roads were damaged. The domed roof of a silo on Pinkerton Road was ripped off during the storm, while a silo on Longenecker Road lost 20 to 30 feet from its upper half. Several outbuildings were also damaged along with corn fields. ||Also on Pinkerton Road, a tree fell onto the roof of a home, causing exterior and interior damage.||No injuries with the storms. More than 7,000 power outages (largely due to lightning strikes) were reported.

Law enforcement reported several trees and power lines down in Landisville.

Trees and power lines were reported down in Lancaster.

Large limbs and power lines were down in Buck.

Trees and power lines were reported down in Lancaster. Also, trees were uprooted in New Holland at 14:50 EST.

Trees and power lines were reported down in the city of Lancaster. One tree demolished a car.

Very gusty west-northwest winds developed across central Pennsylvania, as low pressure intensified over the Great Lakes and dragged a cold front across the area on Sunday, February 24 and continued into Monday, February 25, 2019. Gusts over 60 mph were observed across portions of central Pennsylvania, as were scattered power outages and downed trees.

Low pressure crossed central Pennsylvania before rapidly intensifying as it pulled off the East Coast. As the storm pulled colder air in behind it, rain changed over to snow across much of central Pennsylvania. The northern tier of central PA counties received 6-12 inches of snowfall, with lesser amounts to the south. Blustery northwest winds developed as the storm intensified, with numerous reports of damage to trees and power lines. The most widespread wind damage was across southern PA.

A semi-organized band of convection extending southward from the Buffalo, NY vicinity to near Pittsburgh, PA and Charleston, WV moved eastward during the late afternoon and evening hours. The band evolved into a well-defined linear feature with enhanced bowing segments, increasing damaging wind potential as it moved into a moderately unstable air mass located across central and eastern PA. Widespread damaging straight-line winds with embedded microburst damage accompanied the line as it crossed the Mid-State, knocking down numerous trees and utility wires. The damaging winds also caused localized structural damage and thousands of power outages. A few discrete cells ahead of and embedded in the main convective line tapped into strong low-level shear/helicity, which proved to be a favorable environment for tornadogenesis. Following official NWS storm surveys, an EF2 tornado was confirmed near Dushore in Sullivan County along with a 90-100mph microburst in Perry County.

A significant winter storm impacted Central Pennsylvania from late on 4 February into the afternoon on Wednesday 5 February 2014. A wintry mix of heavy snow, sleet, freezing rain and rain occurred across the region from a dynamic low pressure system and upper-level energy that shifted from the Ohio Valley to the Mid-Atlantic coast. The snow started during the late evening on 2/4 across the western Alleghenies before changing to sleet and freezing rain during the pre-dawn and early morning hours on 2/5. Sleet quickly changed to all freezing rain over the southern tier counties, where widespread heavy icing (0.25-0.50 inch) was observed. The greatest ice accumulations were focused over the Lower Susquehanna Valley. The wintry precipitation ended by the early afternoon on 2/5. Total snow accumulations generally ranged from 6 to 10 inches over a relatively narrow sw-ne stripe through the zones located just north of I-80. Locally higher amounts close to a foot were observed in Tioga County and into the southern Poconos. Snow amounts of 1 to 5 inches were common in the south-central mountains, tempered by sleet and freezing rain. Over the far southeast, storm total (liquid) precipitation amounts averaged between 1 and 2 inches. ||Impacts: The heavy snow and significant icing prompted many schools to close on 2/5. Road travel varied from hazardous to extremely dangerous across the area with severe traffic impacts on the morning commute. The wintry precipitation caused numerous vehicle accidents and road closures. A fatal vehicle accident involving four tractor trailers and a passenger car closed Interstate 76 (PA Turnpike) in Lower Allen Township, Cumberland County, around 1130 PM EST on 2/4 until about 1 PM EST on 2/5. The storm also downed several trees and utility lines creating widespread power outages. At the height of the storm nearly 850,000 customers statewide were without power (primarily in the southeastern PA). The State EOC maintained activation throughout the storm. Shelters and warming centers were opened throughout the southeast region. Governor Tom Corbett declared a disaster emergency for York and Lancaster counties to make state resources, including the National Guard, available to support county and local recovery operations.

A mesoscale convective complex (MCC) with vivid lightning barreled through south-central Pennsylvania from northwest to southeast during the early morning hours. Thunderstorms organized into a bowed segment as they accelerated eastward, producing areas of wind damage across the southern portion the CWA. The damaging winds knocked down numerous trees and wires causing several thousands of customers to lose power in various locations.

Hurricane Sandy began as a tropical wave over the Caribbean Sea around 19 October 2012 and became a powerful storm by 23 October 2012 before making its long track over the western Atlantic, just off the East Coast of the United States and then into New Jersey and Pennsylvania. High latitude blocking over the North Atlantic and the interaction with a strong upper-air disturbance over the central Appalachians allowed Sandy to take a sharp left turn and accelerate northwest from the western Atlantic into southern New Jersey and across southern Pennsylvania. The center of post-tropical Sandy moved westward across the state beginning late in the evening on the 29th. The remnants of Sandy, a weakening low pressure system, exited northwestern Pennsylvania into Canada on October 31, 2012. ||The highest recorded storm-total rainfall amount obtained in PA for the Oct 28-31, 2012 period was 7.94 inches at Schellsburg 2.6 WNW in Bedford County. There was an unconfirmed report of 8.15 inches at Hanover 5.4 S in York County which has not been verified. There was widespread storm-total rainfall amounts of 3 to 5 inches over the central and south portions of the Commonwealth with locally up to near 8 inches along the MD border region. However despite the heavy rainfall, hydrologic impacts were rather limited. Most of the significant flooding occurred in the southern most counties bordering Maryland, where the heaviest rainfall totals occurred. Areal Flood Warnings and Advisories were issued for the region. Six river forecast points rose above flood stage, with all but the Conestoga River at Lancaster (with moderate flooding) experiencing minor flood crests. ||The impacts from the strong winds were widespread, with peak wind gusts were measured in the 50 to 60 mph range. High wind watches and warnings were issued well in advance of the storm. There were several reports of roof and other minor structural damage to homes and businesses. Widespread reports of trees down and power lines down were received. Wind damage caused significant power outages at the height of the storm. ||Cold air was drawn into the southwest-side of the storm and produced heavy snows from October 29-31 across the southern Laurel Mountains. Amounts in excess of a foot were reported at several locations over the highest elevations including 14 inches at Laurel Summit in Somerset County. The ridges in Cambria County received between 2 and 4 inches. ||There was one indirect storm-related fatality that occurred on the evening of the 29th. A person was killed in a Somerset County traffic accident, when their car slid off snow and slush covered road into a farm pond.||A disaster emergency was issued by the Governor on October 26, 2012. This was followed by a Presidential Emergency Declaration on October 29, 2012. ||In summary, Superstorm Sandy was an enduring late season tropical cyclone which developed during a period of high-latitude blocking over the Atlantic Basin. The storm came ashore in New Jersey with significant impact to the coastal regions of the Mid-Atlantic states. The interaction of hurricane Sandy with a strong upper-air disturbance produced one of the more memorable and destructive storms in the Mid-Atlantic region in over 100 years.

An early season, high-impact, winter storm delivered heavy, wet snow to southern and eastern sections of the CWA on Saturday, October 29, 2011. The snow began just after midnight and ended during the evening, leaving a widespread 3 to 8 inches of accumulation with as much as 10 to 12 inches reported over many higher elevations and ridge tops. Despite snowfall rates between 1-2 per hour with convective enhancement in heavier bands, marginally-cold air temperatures in the low to mid 30s combined with warm road/ground temperatures and wetness of the snow reduced accumulations in some areas particularly in the central and southern valleys. Like most early-season snow events, elevation played a significant role in storm total accumulations. ||A 1010mb low pressure system centered near the Carolina coast during the predawn hours rapidly intensified to as it moved northward just offshore the Mid-Atlantic coast. The storm became a classic Nor'easter and deepened to 984mb as it passed east of Nantucket, Massachusetts. The strengthening low produced wind gusts between 20-30 mph over eastern Pennsylvania and gusts near hurricane force over the open ocean waters near the southern New England coast and Gulf of Maine.||In most locations in central Pennsylvania, observed snowfall accumulations set all-time daily and monthly snowfall records for October. The heavy, wet snow produced widespread damage to trees and utility wires. This resulted in more than a half-million (520,000) power outages state-wide at the height of the storm. Warming shelters were opened to accommodate the power outages. Several secondary roads were closed due to the downed trees and wires. The weight of the snow (snow to liquid ratios generally less than 10:1) along with remaining leaf foliage contributed to the significant tree damage. There was one indirect storm-related death in Conewago Township, York County.

Hurricane Irene moved north-northeast along the Mid-Atlantic Coast from North Carolina to Long Island New York. The tropical system produced extensive flooding and strong damaging winds over from the Endless Mountain region of Sullivan County southward to the lower Susquehanna Valley, with heavy rainfall amounts generally between 2 to 4 inches and several reports of non-thunderstorm wind damage. Localized 5 to 6 inch rainfall totals were also observed. Despite the widespread heavy rainfall, the most significant flooding was primarily confined to faster-responding, smaller waterways such as the Conestoga River and Loyalsock Creek as well as low-lying and poor drainage areas. Flood waters closed numerous secondary roads and washed out several small bridges. The strong winds with peak gusts over tropical storm-force downed trees and utility wires, leaving thousands of residents without power. One tree fell on a 59-year old man and 56-year old woman who were camping in East Hanover Township, Dauphin County. The man was killed but the woman survived and sustained a serious head injury.

A dangerous heat wave spread eastward from the Central U.S. and impacted much of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states from July 21-22. Very hot afternoon temperatures near and above record levels in the upper 90s and low 100s combined with dewpoints in the upper 60s to mid 70s to create heat index values between 105 and 115 degrees. Several record high minimum temperatures were also recorded with overnight readings around 80 degrees in some areas. The most intense heat and humidity were felt across the Middle and Lower Susquehanna Valley, where poor air quality further contributed to extremely oppressive conditions. The heat wave lasted several days but peaked on July 21-22. Numerous cooling and senior centers were opened to provide relief from the dangerous heat. The heat also put significant stress on power stations and HVAC systems with localized rolling blackouts and loss of AC reported in some locations.

Damaging non-thunderstorm wind gusts between fifty and sixty-five miles per hour were recorded across central Pennsylvania following the passage of a strong cold front. The high winds produced significant damage across the region, toppling numerous trees and wires. Several homes and other building structures also sustained moderate to major damage. ||The Public Utility Commission reported that utility crews restored power to over four-hundred thousand customers. Allegheny Power, who serves customers in Pennsylvania, West Virgina and Maryland said that this power outage event was the largest in the company's history. Overall, the estimated property damage sustained throughout central Pennsylvania was nearly one million dollars.

High winds in the wake of a strong cold front toppled numerous trees and power lines across the Lower Susquehanna Valley. A few trees fell onto vehicles, with some people narrowly escaping serious injury. Measured wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph were reported on several ASOS observations. In addition, the high winds resulted in widespread power outages with thousands of customers affected. Minor structural damage was also reported.

A cold front moving east from the Ohio Valley encountered a very moist and unstable airmass over central Pennsylvania, triggering numerous strong to severe thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours. This was the first widespread severe weather event of 2008. This event also came at the end of a four-day heat episode.||All utility companies across the Commonwealth were affected by power outages. The overall outage affected approximately 230,000 customers.

A significant winter storm affected much of Central Pennsylvania from the evening of the 15th through the 16th. Heavy snow fell over the northern tier Counties, with a mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain over the South Central Mountains and Middle/Lower Susquehanna Valley.||Numerous reports of hazardous road conditions and downed utility lines and trees were received as the storm moved north across the Commonwealth. County 911 centers reported numerous vehicle accidents and power outages. The Public Utility Commission reported more than one-hundred thousand customers were without power. Utility crews from Pennsylvania and Ohio were dispatched to make repairs and restore service. The affected counties coordinated with local emergency units and the American Red Cross to establish shelters for residents who were without power.

A significant winter storm affected much of Central Pennsylvania on December 13th, producing a wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain. Moderate to heavy snow fell across the North Central Mountains north and east of Interstate 80 and Route 219. Further south across the Central Mountains, snow mixed with sleet and freezing rain. Freezing rain was the dominant precipitation type from the Laurel Highlands eastward into the Susquehanna Valley with over a quarter inch of ice build up on trees and wires.||The storm resulted in a wide range of of emergencies including several vehicle accidents, road closures, and downed utility lines. The downed lines lead to sporadic power outages statewide.

An intense squall line produced widespread wind damage across Central Pennsylvania during the evening hours on June 8, 2007. Numerous trees and power lines were downed causing several power outages and other sporadic damage.

Thunderstorm winds knocked down trees and power poles on Route 272 near Ephrata.

A strong cold front swept across central Pennsylvania during the early morning hours of November 13th, 2003. Strong winds behind the cold front intensified as low pressure deepened north of the region. Reports of trees and wires down were common across all of central Pennsylvania. Earliest damage reports began around 5 AM EST on the morning of the 13th, with the final high wind damage reports coming in around 17:00 EST. High wind speeds were mainly estimated based on reported damage.In addition to trees and wires being downed in the warned counties, additional damage reports included: A 71 mph wind gust was reported in Lancaster, Lancaster County at 5:28 AM EST, a barn blown over in Cambria County 5 miles east of Prince Gallitzin State Park at 13:15 EST, a roof blown off a home in Johnstown Pennsylvania at 12:00 EST, and three separate reports of roofs off homes in Franklin County. In addition, a roof of a state office building was damaged in Clearfield county, a vehicle repair facility in Snyder county was damaged, and a vacant building collapsed in Bedford county. Across all of Pennsylvania, more than 80,000 persons were without power from the high winds. One fatality occurred in Centre County, where a tree fell on a truck and killed the driver. Two other fatalities occurred in Perry County when a car struck a tree which had fallen across Route 233 in Madison Township.

Hurricane Isabel came ashore around midday on September 18th between Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout, North Carolina. The storm continued on a northwesterly track up through Virginia where it was downgraded to a Tropical Storm, and by early Friday morning, September 19th, it was near Latrobe, PA and heading northwest at about 30 miles per hour. The storm exited Pennsylvania by early afternoon, the 19th, with improving conditions beginning state-wide.Rain from the outer bands of Isabel reached southeastern areas of PA by about midday on Thursday, September 18th, and continued to spread northwestward across the remainder of the state throughout the day and evening hours. Heavy rain was falling in southern portions of the State College county warning area (CWA) by late afternoon. Gusty winds were also developing over these southern areas as well.Rain and wind continued overnight, affecting most of State College's CWA into Friday morning. Rainfall amounts exceeded 3 inches in far southwestern areas, with much of the central CWA seeing in excess of 1 inch of rain. Far north and northeastern areas saw less than an inch on average.Sustained winds of 30 mph on average accompanied Isabel as it tracked northward, but damaging gusts of between 50 and 60 mph occurred over a wide area. After a summer of above-normal rainfall, creating soft soils and with trees still in full bloom, the gusty winds resulted in hundreds of reports of trees or tree limbs being knocked down. These took down utility poles and power lines in many parts of the CWA, causing numerous power outages as well as property damage. Significant tree and power line damage was reported in 29 of State College's CWA counties, with the most significant damage over the lower Susquehanna region. Statewide, 1.4 million people lost power. The peak wind gust recorded was 73 mph in Lancaster County. One death (Lancaster County) was attributed to the storm, when a car struck a downed tree.