Thousands without power after severe weather rips through Pennsylvania, New Jersey
Thousands without power after severe weather rips through region
Severe storms on Thursday afternoon ripped up trees and pulled down powerlines from the Philadelphia suburbs to the Jersey shore, leaving thousands without power.
PHILADELPHIA - Severe storms on Thursday afternoon ripped up trees and pulled down power lines from the Philly suburbs to the Jersey shore, leaving thousands without power.
The severe weather brought fierce, swirling winds that prompted a Tornado Warning in Chester, Delaware and New Castle counties.
What we know:
A fast-moving cluster of storms wreaked havoc on parts of the Philadelphia suburbs on Thursday afternoon, ripping down power lines and uprooting trees.
The ferocious storms left thousands from the Philadelphia area to parts of the Jersey shore without power, including more than 160,000 PECO outages as of Friday.
Strong, swirling winds triggered a tornado warning in parts of Chester, Delaware and New Castle counties.
The National Weather Service has not confirmed that any tornadoes touched down on Thursday.
Barefoot Country Music Fest evacuates due to severe weather
The blue skies in Wildwood turned dark over the Barefoot Country Music Festival as the fast-moving storm caused the evacuation of the concert goers.
The 65+ MPH winds, paired with drenching rain, were enough to topple trees and take down power lines in Delaware County and other places.
Additionally, the Barefoot Country Music Festival being held in Wildwood had to be evacuated as the severe weather came through Cape May County.
The cluster of storms barreled over parts of southern New Jersey and caused the Barefoot Country Music Concert in Wildwood to evacuate for two hours.
PECO Power Outages
What they're saying:
PECO shared an update with its customers on Friday, saying they expect it to take several days to fully restore power.
"Due to the extensive impact of the storm, we expect this to be a multi-day restoration effort, lasting through the weekend," a PECO press release read.
The energy company that serves over a million customers said it is bringing in utility crew from as far away as Illinois to help work around the clock.
"Estimated restoration times are currently suspended and will be updated as crews assess the damage," they said.
PECO encourages customers to report outages on via phone or their website, and use the PECO app to stay up-to-date on the latest updates.
What you can do:
Check with your energy provider for the latest updates on when power is expected to be returned to your area.
What's next:
With the severe weather gone, forecasters expect a stellar official start of summer on Friday to set the stage for a hot and sunny weekend across the area.
Temperatures on Friday will climb into the 80s with plenty of sunshine. Saturday and Sunday will be even hotter, with temps in the 90s and increasing humidity.
Monday and Tuesday could reach triple digits in Philadelphia and beyond, and forecasters say the first heat wave of the year could be achieved by mid-week.