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Penn Hills woman still cleaning up after last month's severe storms

Penn Hills woman still cleaning up after last month's severe storms

CBS News17-05-2025
A woman in Penn Hills is still cleaning up after severe storms ripped through western Pennsylvania in late April.
Cynthia Ames can't seem to catch a break.
"This is overwhelming," she said.
More than two weeks after April 29's intense storms, she is still left with a big mess to clean up at her home. Piles of branches and logs are littered across her yard
"I don't have tools," Ames said. "I have clippers. That's it. And so I come and cut what I can with the clippers."
Her and her son's cars were totaled during the storm. She said they didn't have comprehensive car insurance. Their fence, roof, and heating and cooling system were also damaged.
She added that she has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, saying it's not safe for her not to have air conditioning.
"I'm exhausted and I can't sleep at night because I have sleep apnea and COPD," she said. "I just cough all night."
"There's dust and debris," she added. "So we all got sick from that, whatever debris came through the HVAC system into this house."
She can't even begin to think about making repairs. She is also paying $800 a week for a car to get to work.
"We can't even pay the bills right now," Ames said. "We're paying to get to work. We're paying for a car to get to and from work so we can maintain our jobs."
Ames told us she's still waiting to hear back on her homeowner's insurance, but she's confident she won't have to pay for everything
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