Power Outage in Reading, PA

Report from Mping of 3 inch tree limbs broken. Power poles broken. Time estimated from radar.

Multiple trees and power lines were downed onto houses and vehicles.

Trees and power lines were downed near Vermont Rd. Time estimated from radar.

Downed trees or limbs caused a power outage near Harding Ave. Time estimated from radar.

A power pole snapped on Holly Rd. Time estimated from radar.

Measured in a Lowe's parking lot with a Kestrel 5000. Power flashes were observed.

Downed trees brought down power lines in the area. Time estimated from radar.

Tree limbs and power lines were reported down. Time estimated from radar.

Multiple power poles were downed on Kutztown Rd. Time estimated from radar.

Power lines were downed in the vicinity of Ruppert School Rd in Pike Twp. Time estimated from radar.

Power lines were downed in the vicinity of Pond Rd in Earl Twp. Time estimated from radar.

Power lines were downed in the vicinity of Old Gibraltar Rd. Time estimated from radar.

Trees brought down power lines in the area. Time estimated from radar.

Power lines were downed in the vicinity of Main St east of Monocacy. Time estimated from radar.

A tree fell onto wires, causing a power outage near the intersection of Sandy Hill Rd and Power Mill Hollow Rd. Time estimated from radar.

Power lines were downed near Kevin Court in West Lawn. Time estimated from radar.

A couple of reports of power lines down near West State Street. Time estimated from radar.

Power pole fell onto a house near Reading, PA. Time estimated from radar.

Several reports of tree and power line damage in the Reading area.

Several reports of trees and power lines down in Stoney Creek Mills. Time estimated from radar.

Widespread power outages with numerous reports of power lines and trees down near Muhlenberg Park. Time estimated from radar.

Several reports of trees and power lines down near Wyomissing. Time estimate from radar.

Several tree limbs and power lines down in the Reading area. Estimated wind gusts up to 60 MPH.

Several reports of tree and power line damage near Wyomissing. Time estimated from radar.

Several reports of trees and power lines down near Plowville. Time estimated from radar.

Downed power lines on Cleveland Avenue in West Lawn. Time estimated from radar.

Downed power lines on East Main Street and Chestnut Street in Kulptown. Time estimated from radar.

Downed trees and power lines on Sycamore Road in Passmore. Time estimated from radar.

A video posted to social media from downtown Reading showed numerous trees uprooted and downed, as well as numerous downed power lines. Time estimated from radar.

Several trees and power lines were reported down in the area.

Trees and power lines were downed near Wileys Rd and Pillar Dr. Time estimated from radar.

Trees and power lines were downed on Steel Tower Ln. Time estimated from radar.

Power lines were downed near Cross Keys Rd. Time estimated from radar.

Trees were downed on Huffs Church Rd, with power outages also reported in the area. Time estimated from radar.

Power outages and tree damage was reported in several areas north of Reading. Time estimated from radar.

Several reports were received of downed power lines in the Mount Penn and Alsace Manor areas. Time estimated from radar.

Trees and wires were downed with power out in the area of Parkside Inn Rd. Time estimated from radar.

An mPing report from this location of three inch tree limbs down or power poles broken.

Trees and power lines down on Long Ln in Hereford Twp. Time estimated from radar.

Several reports of trees and power lines down in Pike Twp, including on Hill Church Rd, Merkle Rd, and Lutz Rd. Time estimated from radar.

A large tree came down across Oley Turnpike Rd. between Woods Lane and Ritters Lane, blocking the road. Power lines were also reported down.

CWOP station E2230 in Lenhartsville, PA measured a 59 mph wind gust at 9:48pm. Numerous reports of trees and power lines were reported down and blocking roads across the county from Sunday evening through Monday morning.

Powerful winds toppled trees and brought down utility lines throughout the county. A tractor-trailer driver suffered an arm injury when his rig was blown over in Tilden Township around noon, March 2nd, closing the westbound lanes of I-78 near Hamburg for about two hours. The right lane of northbound Route 61 was closed in Leesport in the area of Shackamaxon Street due to a downed utility pole. Route 73 was closed near Grims Mill Road in Colebrookdale Township due to downed wires. Around 1700EST, a roof of a mobile home in the first block of Boyer Lane in Ontelaunee Township was blown off. At one point during the event, more than 8,500 power outages were reported.

Downed trees and power lines closed a stretch of Route 662 in Amity Township in Berks County. Time estimated from radar.

Several trees downed due to thunderstorm winds. With scattered power outages throughout the county.

A severe thunderstorm knocked down large tree limbs and wires in Robeson Township. Wires fell onto the garage of one home on Old River Road. No damage to the garage was reported. Pennsylvania Power and Light and Metropolitan Edison reported about 2,000 of their customers lost power in Berks County. Power was restored by Noon EDT that day.

A severe thunderstorm toppled a few trees in Cumru Township. The combination of the wind and lightning strikes caused power to be out in parts of the township for most of the 11th.

A severe thunderstorm caused wind damage along Charcoal Road in the Kempton section of Albany Township. The side of an unused barn was torn away. Two roofs were damaged on the block and several trees and power lines were blown down. Albany Township was the last township to have power fully restored in Berks County on the 28th.

A severe thunderstorm knocked down large tree limbs and damaged a power pole in Maiden Creek Township.

A severe thunderstorm knocked down a few trees and power lines in Cumru Township.

A severe thunderstorm knocked down trees across Fairhill Drive in District Township and knocked down a tree onto power lines in Maxatawny Township.

A line of severe thunderstorms caused wind damage across southwestern Berks County in Womelsdorf, South Heidelberg and Spring Townships. The worst damage occurred in the West Wyomissing section of Spring Township where approximately 20 homes were damaged by either the wind directly (mainly shingles torn off) or downed trees. A downed tree broke through the roof of a home on Hillvale Avenue and displaced the family. The damage was concentrated in a two to three block area from Fritztown Road to Lincoln Avenue. A downed tree damaged two vehicles on Lincoln Avenue. The siding and shingles of another home were torn away. A trampoline was tossed into a vehicle. About 400 homes and businesses lost power in Berks County, most had the power restored by 10 p.m. EDT that evening.

A severe thunderstorm tore down several trees in Birdsboro Borough. About 800 homes and businesses lost power. Power was restored by 6 p.m. EDT that evening.

A squall line of severe thunderstorms knocked down numerous trees and wires across Berks County. About 2,300 homes and businesses lost power. The worst reported wind damage was in Exeter and Oley Townships. On Oley Turnpike road, 100-year-old trees were uprooted. In Limekiln (Oley Township), large tree limbs fell onto one home and crashed through the window. In Brecknock Township, roads were blocked by fallen limbs. The hardest hit power outage areas included Bernville, Douglassville, Mohnton and Spring Township.

The first severe thunderstorm of the evening to affect Berks County caused widespread tree damage in the southeast part of the county. Scores of trees were knocked down. The worst reported damage was in Amity Township. About thirty homes were damaged, two were destroyed by fallen trees and resulted in the displacement of those two families. About 80 other people were displaced temporarily. Many trees were knocked down along Levengood Road and County Routes 562 and 662 in the township. Downed trees and poles blocked and closed County Route 562. In Douglas Township, the Manatawny Winery was damaged. A pheasant farm near Yellow House was damaged. Wires were knocked down throughout the township. In Boyertown, a tent was overturned. Numerous trees were also knocked down in Oley and Earl Townships. About 2,800 homes and businesses lost power in the county because of the series of severe thunderstorms. No injuries were reported.

A severe thunderstorm tore down a few trees in Wernersville Borough. The combination of a few severe thunderstorms that passed through Berks County caused about 2,800 homes and businesses to lose power.

Freezing rain overspread the area during the early evening hours of the 6th and mixed with some sleet initially. Ice accumulated up to 0.20 inches, which caused pockets of power outages and also produced areas of slippery conditions.

A severe thunderstorm knocked over some large trees in the eastern part of Berks County. One large downed tree damaged a minivan and the roof of a home on Old Airport Road in Amity Township. There were about 300 weather related calls associated with the strong to severe thunderstorms in Berks County on the afternoon of the 27th. About 6,400 homes and businesses lost power. Power was not fully restored until the morning of the 28th.

A severe thunderstorm tore down a couple of trees and poles in Cumru Township. Lightning strikes caused about 3,000 homes and businesses to lose power in Boyertown, Reading and Wyomissing.

A severe thunderstorm tore down several trees and wires across southeastern Berks County from Brecknock Township east through Amity Township. One downed tree fell on a house in Brecknock Township. In all the combination of damaging wind and lightning caused about 75 different locations throughout the county to be affected by the thunderstorms. About 4,000 homes and businesses lost power in Berks County.

A severe thunderstorm tore down several trees and wires across southeastern Berks County from Brecknock Township east through Amity Township. One downed tree fell on a house in Brecknock Township. In all the combination of damaging wind and lightning caused about 75 different locations throughout the county to be affected by the thunderstorms. About 4,000 homes and businesses lost power in Berks County.

A severe thunderstorm tore down a few trees and power lines across the northern tier of Berks County from Upper Bern Township east through Richmond Township.

A severe thunderstorm tore down a few power lines and trees in Laureldale.

The heavy rain caused a tree to fall in Reading on Hill Road. The downed tree took down power lines and caused about 435 homes and businesses to lose power. While most power was restored within three hours, complete power was not restored until the morning of the 9th. The Manatawny Creek at Spangsville was above its 6 foot flood stage from 335 p.m. EST through 733 p.m. EST on the 8th. It crested at 6.24 feet at 6 p.m. EST. Specific storm totals included 2.15 inches in Morgantown, 2.03 inches in Fleetwood, 2.02 inches in Blue Marsh and 1.87 inches in Reading.

A slow moving cold front approaching from the Great Lakes and a weak pre-frontal surface trough helped to trigger a few strong to severe thunderstorms in Eastern Pennsylvania during the early morning hours of the 4th. The area most affected by the thunderstorms extended from Berks County into the Lehigh Valley where damaging wind gusts, power outages, and a lightning strike to a structure were reported.

A line of strong to locally severe thunderstorms that passed through Eastern Pennsylvania mainly during the late afternoon and early evening on the 18th exacerbated the already ongoing wind damage caused by strong pre-squall line southerly winds in the region. The combination of the strong winds and squall line knocked out power to approximately 85,000 homes and businesses in Eastern Pennsylvania. The squall line was triggered by an approaching cold front that moved through overnight on the 18th.

An area of high pressure on the 18th was off the Mid Atlantic coast, while a cold front was well off to the west. In between these two systems was a surface trough, which helped to focus showers and thunderstorms within a warm and humid air mass. The thunderstorms, some severe, marched across the region during the evening hours. The combination of high winds and lightning caused about 27,500 homes and businesses to lose power in Berks County and southeastern Pennsylvania. Power was not fully restored until the 20th.

A squall line of strong to severe thunderstorms moved through southeast Pennsylvania during the morning of June 9th. The squall line formed near a warm frontal boundary. In addition to the winds, the thunderstorms were prolific lightning producers. PECO Energy reported about 10,000 homes and businesses lost power that morning in southeastern Pennsylvania because of the combination of mainly lightning and some damaging wind gusts.

A fast moving brush fire occurred on Neversink Mountain, just south of Reading on the afternoon and evening of the 2nd. The fire started on the western slope of the mountain near the end of South 9th Street. It was reported shortly after 4 p.m. EDT. There were six or seven separate fires that merged into one. Two dozen fire companies and about 150 firefighters helped battle the blaze. Service was suspended on the Norfolk Southern Railroad for several hours during the height of the blaze. Metropolitan Edison also turned off power to some homes in the area. The fire was declared under control at 10 p.m. EDT that evening. At Reading Regional Airport, the prevailing wind for the 2nd was from the west and the peak wind gust was 22 mph.

The combination of strong northwest winds behind a cold front and saturated grounds from the heavy rain pushed over some weak trees during the morning of the 5th. Measured wind gusts were mainly around 40 mph, but this was enough to cause some damage.||In Berks County, in Exeter Township, a 17-year-old student escaped injury after a tree fell onto the windshield of the vehicle. In Union Township, a downed tree took down wires and caused outages to 900 people. In Chester County, in Phoenixville, a downed tree crushed a fence in Phoenixville. In Delaware County, a downed 90 foot oak tree crashed onto a 13,000 volt power line and caused outages to 1,200 PECO customers. In Northampton County, a downed tree blocked a roadway in Palmer Township. A downed pole in Glendon resulted in outages to 350 Metropolitan Edison customers.

A severe thunderstorm knocked down a couple of trees in and around Reading. A wind gust to 55 mph was measured at Reading Regional Airport at 714 p.m. EDT. The combination of damaging winds and lightning caused about 600 homes and businesses to lose power.

The combination of the remnants of Tropical Storm Ernnesto and a large high pressure system over eastern Canada produced heavy rain and winds over Berks County. Rain moved into the area around Noon EDT on the 1st and did not exit until the late afternoon on the 2nd. The heaviest rain fell during the daytime hours on the 2nd. Storm totals averaged around two inches. The heavy rain produced poor drainage flooding as well as some stream and creek flooding. In addition to the heavy rain, persistent east to northeast winds caused tree damage as the heavy rain loosened the root support and weighed down limbs. The strongest winds occurred early on the 2nd. About 13,000 homes and businesses lost power, 1,500 were still without power on the 3rd. Downed trees blocked roads in Pennside. Some athletic games were postponed. The Manatawny Creek at Spangville was above its 6 foot flood stage from 830 p.m. EDT on the second through 1057 p.m. EDT on the 2nd. It crested at 6.09 feet at 10 p.m. EDT. Actual storm totals included 2.77 inches in Lincoln Park, 2.60 inches in Reading, 2.46 inches in Bethel, 1.84 inches in Hamburg and 1.23 inches in Bechtelsville. The low pressure system that was Ernesto moved slowly north from around Petersburg, Virginia at 5 p.m. EDT on the 1st, to near Fredericksburg, Virginia at 11 p.m. EDT on the 1st, passed close to Washington D.C. at 5 a.m. EDT on the 2nd, near Hagerstown, Maryland at 8 a.m. EDT on the 2nd, near Altoona, Pennsylvania at 2 p.m. EDT on the 2nd and accelerated northward and was just southeast of Buffalo, New York at 2 a.m. EDT on the 3rd. Of greater importance, was a strong high pressure system (greater than 1032 millibars) that remained over southeastern Canada and maintained the pressure gradient (difference) between it and the remnant low of Ernesto.

A severe thunderstorm knocked down several trees in North Heidelberg Township and several large tree limbs in West Lawn Borough. About 2,200 Metropolitan Edison customers lost power in West Lawn Borough lost power because of the downed large tree limbs.

A lightning strike to a transformer caused about 6,500 Metropolitan Edison customers in Birdsboro to lose power.

A severe thunderstorm knocked down large tree limbs and wires in Hamburg. The subsequent power outage also affected the Pennsylvania State Police station in Hamburg.

A line of severe thunderstorms tore down tree limbs, several trees and power lines in Blandon and Morgantown in Berks County. In Morgantown, several construction signs were also blown over and rows of potted plants were knocked over at a local Wal-Mart. The worst damage occurred near the merger of Pennsylvania State Routes 10 and 23.

A severe thunderstorm rolled through Berks County, Pennsylvania during the early evening of June 1st. Power lines were knocked down as a result of the gusty winds.

Gusty winds from a severe thunderstorm, which rolled through the area during the early evening of June 1st, downed power lines across Earl Township.

Thunderstorm wind gusts downed tree limbs and power lines in Union Township.

A severe thunderstorm tore down trees and wires from Birdsboro northeast to Boyertown. About 6,800 homes and businesses lost power from the pair of severe thunderstorms that moved through this part of the Berks County, with the greatest concentration around Boyertown.

A second severe thunderstorm knocked down more trees and wires in southeastern Berks County from Union Township northeast through Boyertown. About 6,800 homes and businesses (mainly around Boyertown) lost power from the pair of severe thunderstorms.

A severe thunderstorm tore down trees, tree limbs and wires across the northern part of Berks County. About 1,500 homes and businesses lost power in Hamburg.

A severe thunderstorm caused numerous lightning strikes across the county and some damaging wind gusts in the central part of the county. Several trees were knocked down at the Wyomissing Pools. About 11,100 homes and businesses lost power in 70 trouble spots throughout the county. The greatest concentration of outages was in downtown Reading. About 2,000 cloud-to-ground lightning bolts occurred during the early evening in and around Berks County. In Kenhorst Borough, a lightning strike blew out the transformers at a swim club. The facility remained closed for three days until they were replaced. Elsewhere in the county, all power was restored by the next morning (the 14th).

Lightning strikes caused about 300 homes and businesses to lose power in Leesport for about two hours during the evening of the 5th.

Lightning struck a house in Maxatawny Township during the afternoon, setting flooring in the attic and third floor on fire. The flames were under control within a half an hour. In nearby Kutztown Borough, a lightning strike caused about 800 homes and businesses to lose power for four hours. The thunderstorms were prolific cloud-to-ground lightning producers during the afternoon of the 6th. Between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. EDT about 2,500 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes occurred along the band of thunderstorms from lower Dutchess County, New York southwest through Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Gusty northwest winds circulating around an intense low pressure system over the Canadian Maritimes caused power outages in Ruscombmanor and Oley Townships. About 3,000 homes and businesses lost power between 4 p.m. and 1030 p.m. EST. The peak wind gust at the Reading Regional Airport was 37 mph.

A line of showers with damaging winds moved through central Berks County before dawn on the 14th. The winds knocked down tree limbs and power lines and caused outages to about 2,000 homes and businesses in Leesport, Muhlenberg and Ontelaunee Townships.

Repeated thunderstorms with torrential downpours caused flash flooding of streams and creeks in the southeast half of Berks County. Birdsboro Borough was hit the hardest as a flooding Hay Creek caused roadway and home damage. Damage estimates were $2.1 million dollars, more than half of it occurring in Birdsboro. It was described as the worst flooding since 1987 in Birdsboro. Other hard hit townships included Robeson, Lower Alsace, Mount Penn and Union. Doppler Radar storm total estimates reached between 5 and 6 inches. The flooding rains and streams loosened the soil and downed numerous trees which in turn caused power outages. About 7,000 homes and businesses lost power. In Birdsboro, a state of emergency was declared as the Hay Creek began flooding around 7 p.m. EDT. The creek flooded Main Street (Pennsylvania State Route 724) and caused the collapse of Water Street. Water Street is expected to be closed for months. About 40 residents from 13 homes on Hay Creek Road, Fulton Street and Beacon Street were evacuated. People were sheltered at the local VFW and the fire house. A previously damaged and unused bridge along Pennsylvania State Route 82 was washed away. The Route 724 (Main Street) Bridge was closed until 1 p.m. EDT on the 28th. Flood waters and trees pounded against it, damaged the First Street Bridge which was not reopened until August 11th. The borough's sewage treatment plant was damaged and blocked by debris. About two dozen homes were damaged by the flood waters. Two homes suffered major damage and were uninhabitable. The foundation of an 8th Street home collapsed. A Hay Creek Road home had the creek flowing through its basement. Most other homes had flood waters in their basements and crawl spaces. The flood waters also damaged both borough parks. Farther upstream in Robeson Township, there was so much tree debris that dammed the Hay Creek that it carved a new route and washed away a main road at Joanna Furnace.Elsewhere in the county, in Cumru Township, the flooding Angelica Creek inundated one home. U.S. Route 222 was closed in the township. Other municipalities that reported flooding and closed roads included Amity, Caernarvon, Earl, Lower Alsace, Mount Penn, Oley, Reading and Union. The Manatawny Creek at Spangsville (Oley Township) was above its 6 foot flood stage from 636 p.m. EDT on the 27th through 607 a.m. EDT on the 28th. It crested at 6.95 feet at 1130 p.m. on the 27th.Storm totals included 5.13 inches in Birdsboro, 4.90 inches in Douglasville, 4.25 inches in Bechtelsville, 4.19 inches in Gibraltar, 3.20 inches in Cumru Township, 3.03 inches within Reading and 2.24 inches at Reading Regional Airport. The 13.85 inches of rain that fell at the Reading Regional Airport not only was the wettest July on record, but also was the third wettest month on record.

A severe thunderstorm knocked down numerous trees in Heidelberg Township. Several roads were blocked. About 10,000 homes and businesses lost power throughout the county. All but 500 were restored by midnight. The rest had power restored on the 15th.

A severe thunderstorm knocked down numerous trees in Maiden Creek Township. Several roads were blocked. About 10,000 homes and businesses lost power throughout Berks County. All but 500 were restored by midnight. The rest had power restored on the 15th.

A series of thunderstorms with torrential downpours caused flash flooding of most of the streams in the southeast part of Berks County. Flooding streams included the Conestoga, Monocacy and Manatawny. About 10 major roads were closed including Pennsylvania State Route 724 in Union Township and westbound U.S. Route 422 in Amity Township. Storm totals ranged from three to eight inches across the area. One woman was injured. The heavy downpours loosened the soil and caused trees to be knocked down. One home was damaged by the downed trees. About 1,000 homes and businesses lost power.The worst reported flooding was along the Manatawny Creek in Earl Township. It was described as the worst flooding along the creek since Tropical Storm Agnes in 1972. Several people and dogs were rescued along Manatawny Road and about half a dozen homes were off limits. Fences and propane tanks were swept downstream. Flooding septic systems contaminated well heads. The Tiki Bar had its fence washed way and was surrounded by flood waters. In Lower Alsace Township, a 40-year-old woman was rescued from a trapped drainage pipe. In West Reading, a 20-foot high stone wall collapsed and destroyed six vehicles. In Sinking Spring Borough, 10 homes and a business were flooded.The Manatawny Creek at Spangville was above its 6 foot flood stage from 1111 a.m. EDT on the 12th through 117 a.m. EDT on the 13th. It crested at 8.53 feet at 630 p.m. EDT. Storm totals included 7.79 inches in Fredericksville, 6.50 inches in Oley, 6.11 inches in Gibraltar, 5.73 inches in Mohnton, 5.32 inches at the Reading Regional Airport (the 5th wettest calendar day on record), 5.12 inches in Lincoln Park, 4.55 inches in Reading and 3.57 inches in Bechtelsville.

A severe thunderstorm knocked down numerous trees in Boyertown and in Amity and Exeter Townships. Hardest hit was Amity Township with over 300 trees knocked down and numerous others snapped. The worst damage within the township was concentrated in the Monocacy Hill Recreation Area where around 200 trees were toppled and on Monocacy Hill, Geiger and Limekiln Roads. Homes on Slate Road and Monocacy Hill Road suffered significant damage by downed trees. Several other homes and vehicles on Monocacy Hill and Limekiln Roads were also damaged by downed trees. Monocacy Hill Road was closed because of the numerous downed trees and power lines. The Monocacy Hill Recreation Area was expected to be closed for 30 to 60 days. Large trees blocked most of the trails. There was also the danger from leaning trees and broken limbs in the canopies that kept on falling. The damage was worse that what occurred with Tropical Storm Isabel in 2003. Once the trails were cleared and a forestry expert could go into the park, a better assessment of when it can be reopened will be made. About 5,000 homes and businesses in eastern Berks County lost power. All power was restored by 9 p.m. EDT in the evening.

A severe thunderstorm knocked down numerous large limbs and wires and several trees in the eastern part of Berks County. A couple of roads were blocked. The thunderstorm hit Topton Borough and Longswamp, Maxatawny and Rockland Townships the hardest. About 10,000 homes and businesses in the county lost power because of the downed limbs and wires.

Damaging south to southeast winds preceding an approaching cold front knocked down numerous trees, tree limbs and wires in Berks County and led to several transformer fires. The wind gusted to 59 mph in Vinemont. A tree fell on and damaged the Shillington Family Chiropractic Building. About 5,000 homes and businesses lost power in the county. Outages were concentrated in Cumru Township (grill and Nolde Forest areas), Reiffton (Lower Alsace Township) and Shillington Borough.

A severe thunderstorm knocked down several trees and numerous tree limbs across the northern half of Berks County. About 10,000 homes and businesses lost power. The longest outages again affected Shoemakersville and Leesport. Power was not fully restored until the 23rd.

A potent line of severe thunderstorms knocked down numerous trees and wires across the northwestern half of the county. About 10,000 homes and businesses lost power in Berks County from the series of severe thunderstorms that evening. Most of Shoemakersville was without power through the 22nd. Systemwide, about 176,000 Pennsylvania Power and Light Customers lost power in Pennsylvania because of the line of severe storms.

A small line of severe thunderstorms knocked down trees and power lines in Hamburg and Heidelberg Township. Penny size hail also fell in West Reading.

Lightning struck and disabled a transformer on Pennsylvania State Route 61 in Muhlenberg Township. About 1,400 homes and businesses lost power for about 45 minutes.

A severe thunderstorm knocked down trees and wires from Boyertown south into Douglass and Union Townships. About 5,000 homes and businesses lost power and it was not fully restored until the afternoon of the 6th.

A slow moving low pressure system at both the surface and aloft helped trigger very heavy rain across Berks County from the afternoon into the first half of the evening on the 20th. Storm totals averaged between 2.0 and 4.0 inches, most of which fell around the early evening commute at the rate of half an inch per hour. The heavy rain led to widespread poor drainage flooding as well as flooding of some of the streams in the county. Even retention basins were overflowing. The worst water damage occurred in the eastern part of the county in Amity, Douglass and Union Townships. Road closures began around 5 p.m. EDT. Pennsylvania State Route 724 was closed through the evening in Union Township. throughout the county thousands of basements were flooded. The water saturated soil, mudslides and the general flooding caused hundreds of trees to fall. Downed power lines closed several roads. The Manatawny Creek in Spangville was above its 6 foot flood stage from 710 p.m. EDT on the 20th through 741 a.m. EDT on the 21st. It crested at 7.76 feet at 1230 a.m. EDT on the 21st. Storm totals included 4.15 inches in Bernville, 3.25 inches in Bechtelsville, 2.61 inches in Reading and 2.48 inches in Hamburg.The low pressure system responsible for the heavy rain formed along a stationary front over the Carolinas during the morning of the 20th. It moved to just east of Wallops Island, Virginia during the evening of the 20th and well east of the Delmarva Peninsula during the morning of the 21st. An inverted trough at the surface that extended from the low north into Chesapeake Bay and Eastern Pennsylvania concentrated the heavy rain along its axis. June as a whole was an unseasonably wet month. On a county weighted average, June monthly precipitation totals averaged 8.7 inches in Berks County. Normal is around 3.9 inches. The June monthly precipitation total of 7.20 inches at the Reading Regional Airport was 2.84 inches wetter than normal. The wet spring weather led to a whole different set of problems from the drought of the previous year. Planted seeds were drowning and rotting. Many soybean, corn and berry fields were too wet. There were also problems with slugs. Vegetables were generally about a month behind. Double crop fields fell behind schedule because of the slow growth of straw and hay. Garden shops sales have been down. Pool installations were about three to six weeks behind. Ant infestations increased. Windshield wipers were tearing. Many spring athletic seasons were extended because of postponed events. There will be a bumper crop of mosquitoes. Attendance along the shore and at amusement parks was down. Road work was delayed. The one few positives from the wet weather was lower utility bills.

Thunderstorms with torrential downpours dropped between 4 and 5 inches of rain within about an hour around Lenhartsville Borough in Berks County. A Rodale Institute employee measured 5 inches of rain in an hour. A section of Pennsylvania State Route 143 was closed after flood waters and mud swept across the roadway. The torrential rain and flash flooding loosened the dirt and knocked down several trees and subsequently power lines in the area. No major damage or injuries were reported.

A severe thunderstorm knocked down several trees and power lines in central Berks County. About 1,500 homes and businesses in Maiden Creek Township lost power.

A severe thunderstorm knocked over several trees and power lines across southeastern Berks County. About 1,700 homes and businesses lost power in Boyertown. A downed tree blocked Pennsylvania State Route 662 in Amity Township. A woman drove into the downed tree, but was not seriously injured.

A severe thunderstorm brought down some trees and power lines in the western part of Berks County. it also produced some brief, but torrential downpours. In Reading 0.65 inches of rain fell in 15 minutes.

A line of strong to severe thunderstorms moved through Berks County around midnight EST on the 10th. The worst wind damage occurred to the west of Reading where scattered trees were knocked down. Pennsylvania Power and Light reported about 56,000 of its Pennsylvania customers lost power because of the line of thunderstorms. The worst damage though was west of the Poconos and Berks County.

A severe thunderstorm knocked down numerous trees and wires in Berks County from Bernville east through Boyertown. The worst damage was reported in and around Reading. The Reading Regional Airport reported a measured wind gust to 59 mph. About 19,000 GPU Energy customers lost power because of downed trees and wires. All power was restored by the evening of the 5th. Downed trees, downed wires and/or power outages were reported in Bernville, Reading, Hamburg, Birdsboro, Topton and Boyertown. The thunderstorms also produced heavy downpours that caused some poor drainage flooding. In Reading one inch of rain fell in 9 minutes with a storm total of 1.60 inches. The storm total in Gibraltar was 1.80 inches. Traffic back-ups were common in the county as motorists had to navigate through some flooded streets and roadways blocked by downed limbs.

A severe thunderstorm knocked down trees and power lines in and around Hamburg.

A severe thunderstorm knocked down several trees in the Kutztown area. About 700 homes and businesses lost power.

A few large trees and brief power interruptions were caused by a severe thunderstorm that moved through the western half of Berks County. In addition to the high winds, lightning struck the roof of a church in Bernville. The ensuing fire was contained to the loft area of the roof, but still caused about 50,000 dollars in damage.

A line of severe thunderstorms took down trees and power lines in Berks County. The worst damage occurred in Brecknock Township where a barn collapsed and the high winds partially knocked over two poultry houses. All the animals were rescued and unharmed. About 10,000 homes and businesses lost power in the county.

A severe thunderstorm knocked over numerous trees, tree limbs and wires throughout Berks County. About 7,000 homes and businesses lost power. Half of the outages were in Hamburg and Kutztown. Small hail also fell in Kutztown and Sinking Springs.

A series of severe thunderstorms knocked down numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines throughout Berks County. About 7,500 homes and businesses lost power due to the high winds. Sinking Springs was hit the hardest with over half of the outages (4,465). Trees were knocked down onto Route 222 in Shillington Borough. In Albany Township, lightning and the ensuing fire forced a family from their home. In Lower Heidelberg Township, a woman was jolted by lightning when she touched an appliance in her Pine Street house.