CBS News
PITTSBURGH PA (PTTP) – This past Sunday, Pittsburgh was hit with severe weather coming from the mid-west. The National Weather Service confirmed that five tornadoes touched down in counties near the city. Surveyors found damage consistent with a EF-1 tornado in Westmoreland County. Indiana and Fayette County also reported tornadoes touching down.
Luckily no one was seriously injured and there were no casualties. However, there were reports of damaged structures and vegatation. With the high wind speeds, buildings had their roofs blown off and one resident had wooden beams blown into her house.
Trees were also uprooted by the winds and a older barn was completely destroyed. According to the National Weather Service, the tornado that touched down in Ligonier, which is in Westmoreland County, caused up to $500,000 in damage.
The city of Pittsburgh and surrounding areas experienced heavy rail, hail, and strong winds. The high winds caused many electrical poles to snap, leaving residents without electricity.
The storms in Pittsburgh were not as dangerous and destructive as the storms that hit other parts of the county. The tornadoes that tore through Alabama, Oklahoma, and other mid west states, left 42 people dead and hundreds injured. This is the start of tornado season but on a rare occurance it hit our city as well.