Outages impacting region, 911 center; barn destroyed in Munster Township
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Cambria County's 911 Center didn't need to check its call logs to gauge the extent of the widespread issues caused by a Tuesday storm.
The center was still running on a generator 16 hours later – among thousands of customers in the region still without power, Emergency Management Director Tom Davis said.
"Our power went out at 6:30 p.m. (Tuesday) – and the generator has been on ever since," said Davis. "We have to be prepared for the worst ... just like everyone else."
The county's propane-fueled generator system enables the county's staff to continue answering calls and dispatching incidents to local responders, without limitations – and Tuesday's storm kept them busy, with reports of widespread outages, downed trees and a steel Carrolltown cellphone that was bent in half while still planted to its foundation near Sunset Road.
A Munster Township barn was also destroyed by winds, while cattle were trapped inside, Davis said.
Cambria and the northernmost area of Somerset County had reports of outages – and in some cases, downed trees and wires.
The region's issues weren't unique Wednesday.
As of 11:15 a.m., Penelec reported 189,000 customers were still without power across a region that spread from Beaver County and Pittsburgh to Johnstown, Altoona and State College.
More than 270,000 were without power after the storm swept through around 6 p.m. a day earlier.
The utility company's outage map was cluttered with perhaps 1,000 individual incidents across western Pennsylvania, including at least 85 outages in the Cambria-Somerset region that crews were working to address.
Penelec Spokesman Todd Meyers told The Tribune-Democrat late Tuesday that it will likely take days – not hours – for the outages to all be addressed.
Because much of western Pennsylvania was struck, rather than one concentrated area, Penelec crews and their line repair subcontractors have a long list of issues to address.
Indiana-based REA Energy Cooperative, which provides electricity to residents in across parts of central and northern Cambria County, indicated nearly 18,000 customers lost power Tuesday.
By 9:45 a.m., that number was reduced to 15,000, the company wrote.
Somerset County Emergency Management Director Joel Landis said this week's storm is the just the latest of several that have inflicted severe wind damage over the past two months.
A previous storm destroyed barns in Somerset County.
"We (avoided) the worst of it (Tuesday) ... but this trend is getting more and more common," Landis said.
He said the public should plan ahead before traveling during or after storms and visit 511Pa.com to look for real-time road closures that might impact their travel routes.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Key US weather monitoring offices understaffed as hurricane season starts
More than a dozen National Weather Service (NWS) forecast offices along the hurricane-prone Gulf of Mexico coast are understaffed as the US plunges into an expected active season for ruinous storms, data seen by the Guardian shows. There is a lack of meteorologists in 15 of the regional weather service offices along the coastline from Texas to Florida, as well as in Puerto Rico – an area that takes the brunt of almost all hurricanes that hit the US. Several offices, including in Miami, Jacksonville, Puerto Rico and Houston, lack at least a third of all the meteorologists required to be fully staffed. Meanwhile, the National Hurricane Center (NHC), the Miami-based nerve center for tracking hurricanes, is short five specialists, the Guardian has learned, despite assurances from the Trump administration that it is fully staffed ahead of what's anticipated to be a busy hurricane season that officially started on Sunday. Related: 'Chaos': Trump cuts to Noaa disrupt staffing and weather forecasts The center and local field offices work together to alert and prepare communities for incoming hurricanes, but they have been hit by job cuts and a hiring freeze imposed by the president, with more than 600 staff departing the NWS since Trump took power. 'The system is already overstretched and at some point it will snap,' said Tom Fahy, legislative director of the National Weather Service Employees Organization, an independent labor union and provider of the office staffing data. 'We are at the snapping point now.' An NHC spokesperson said the agency still has enough people to function properly. 'NHC has a sufficient number of forecasters to fill mission-critical operational shifts during the 2025 hurricane season,' she said. 'NHC remains dedicated to its mission, providing timely tropical weather forecasts and warnings pursuant to our public safety mission.' But experts warned the turmoil unleashed by Trump upon the NWS and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), the national disaster agency that has had multiple leadership changes and still does not have a completed plan for this year's hurricane season, will dangerously hamper the response to a summer that will likely bring storms, floods and wildfires across the US. 'Staff will put in an heroic effort but there is high probability of significant consequences because of the cuts,' said Rick Spinrad, who was administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) until January. 'If I were a citizen of Texas, Florida or Georgia, I wouldn't be sure how well warned I would be of a hurricane. And if a hurricane was heading for a major city, I'm not confident Fema would be able to respond to the forecasted warnings.' The NWS, which is part of Noaa, has been upended like other agencies by the efforts of Trump and the so-called 'department of government efficiency' (Doge) to slash the government workforce. The weather service has scrambled to fill gaps with temporary secondments from other offices, but many roles remain unfilled in outposts that usually have about 25 employees each. The agency is now asking for relocations to fill empty meteorologist-in-charge positions, the most senior role at a field office, in Houston, Texas, and Lake Charles, Louisiana – both places that have experienced devastating hurricanes in recent years. Cover for dozens of other meteorologist roles across the US is also being sought, including in the hurricane-prone areas of Miami and Key West, both in Florida, and Mobile, Alabama, according to an internal NWS document. In some cases, the loss of weather service personnel – from the firing of probationary workers and early retirements offered to veteran staff – has forced offices to shut down overnight rather than operate 24 hours a day as normal. In seven of the 122 NWS stations across the US, including in Jackson, Kentucky, where a tornado killed 19 people this month, there will be no round-the-clock operation from 1 June. Of the 122 offices, 30 lack a meteorologist-in-charge. While the weather service, which has existed in some form since 1870, has always had to shift around resources to deal with extreme events, former staff said the scale of the cuts place an unprecedented strain upon its ability to provide detailed, localized forecasts. The release of weather balloons has been scaled back, technicians who maintain radar equipment have been fired and there are concerns that 'hurricane hunter' flights into storms will not be fully operational. Related: 'Flooding could end southern Appalachia': the scientists on an urgent mission to save lives 'I slept on the floor of the office during the hurricanes last year, but you can't do that every day because it leads to burnout. What the National Weather Service is doing now is a short-term fix of musical chairs, it's not sustainable,' said Brian LaMarre, a 30-year weather service veteran who took early retirement in April from his role as meteorologist-in-charge of the office in Tampa, Florida. 'What's needed is for the National Weather Service and Noaa to be funded properly.' While the tracking of hurricanes, which has improved markedly in recent years as technology and forecast models have advanced, will still be handled by the NHC, there are concerns that understaffed local offices won't be able to properly apply this information to affected areas. 'They can move the deckchairs on the Titanic but they just don't have enough bodies to do the job they are supposed to do,' said James Franklin, a retired NWS meteorologist who is a hurricane specialist. 'I'm worried the local offices won't be able to communicate with local emergency services and local officials about threats because they won't have the bodies to do it. The uncertainty level of the forecast will go up, too.' Franklin said the cuts to jobs and to longer-term Noaa research aimed at improving forecasts will have a lasting impact. 'It's not even shortsighted, it's no-sighted,' he said. 'Even if you don't see an impact this year, in five or 10 years you certainly will. They aren't even going to save any money doing this; it seems ideologically driven to me.' The tumult within the US's premier weather agency comes as its leadership acknowledges that warm temperatures in the Gulf, a symptom of the climate crisis, will probably spur an above-normal number of hurricanes this year. Six to 10 storms are expected to become hurricanes with winds of 74mph (119km/h) or higher, with as many as five reaching at least 111mph (179km/h). 'Everything is in place for an above-average season,' Ken Graham, director of the NWS, said last week. 'We've got to be prepared, right now. We've got to be ready.' Yet uncertainty is now commonplace throughout the US government's apparatus to predict and respond to disasters. The situation at a depleted Fema is particularly parlous, with the agency reducing training for state and local emergency managers and lagging months behind schedule in preparing for hurricane season. Trump and Kristi Noem, the secretary of homeland security, have both openly mulled dismantling Fema and its new acting administrator has struck a belligerent tone. 'I, and I alone in Fema, speak for Fema. I'm here to carry out the president's intent for Fema,' David Richardson, a former marine with no emergency management experience, told staff in May. 'I will run right over you,' he warned staff. 'Don't get in my way … I know all the tricks.' 'It's a chaotic time at Fema, the constant departure of employees and the lack of leadership has distracted the agency from its mission,' said Michael Coen, who was chief of staff to the Fema administrator during the Biden administration. 'There's a lot of confusion among states over what level of support they will get from the federal government. My concern is that if Fema has to respond to concurrent events, two hurricanes or a flood and a storm, it won't have the capacity to provide the proper level of support.' Such warnings have rattled some lawmakers amid a federal budget negotiation process that will probably conclude at some point during hurricane season, which stretches until November. Under a budget proposal outlined by Trump's White House, Noaa's $6bn budget would be shrunk by around a quarter, effectively eliminating its climate and weather research. 'Republicans and Democrats are concerned about this because they know a tornado doesn't care if you live in a red state or a blue state,' said Fahy. 'Members of Congress are concerned, I've had several phone calls asking if we have enough people. The National Weather Service's budget is the cost of a cup of coffee for every person across the United States. I think people would say that's pretty good value.' A Fema spokesperson said that the Trump administration is 'committed to ensuring Americans affected by emergencies will get the help they need in a quick and efficient manner'. 'All operational and readiness requirements will continue to be managed without interruption in close coordination with local and state officials ahead of the 2025 hurricane season,' the spokesperson added.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
South Dakota's fall pheasant outlook is ‘very positive'
PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) — The forecast looks good for another strong season of pheasant hunting in South Dakota this fall, according to a state Game, Fish and Parks Department official. This comes after a 2024 harvest estimated at 1.3 million roosters, which was the highest in four years and once again the best in the nation. GFP wants more river otters trapped in eastern counties A mild winter suggested that more hens were available for breeding this spring, and average temperatures and moisture during April and May produced good habitat for nesting and brood raising, said Alex Solem, a Huron-based senior biologist for the state Wildlife Division. 'We're set for hopefully a very productive fall with good bird numbers,' Solem said Friday. 'We're cautiously optimistic that we're going to have a very good fall.' His comments accompanied a presentation on Friday to the state Game, Fish and Parks Commission during its meeting in Aberdeen. Solem said the 2024 harvest, based on a sample of 15,000 hunters, was a 5.5% increase over the previous year. He said the 140,262 hunters who took to the field were up 3.6%. They included 58,195 residents, which were up 1.2%, and 82,607 nonresidents, up 5.3%. 'I can't stress how good last season was,' Solem said, pointing out that South Dakota saw more roosters bagged in the first two weeks of the regular season than almost all other states combined. Hunters also took an estimated 98,962 prairie grouse, a 42% increase from 2023, which Solem described as 'crazy.' There were additional hunting days in January, but the grouse harvest occurs primarily in September and October. He said the 19,223 hunters were up 11.9%, with 10,898 residents, which were up 13.3%, and 8,325 nonresidents, up 10%. It was the fourth consecutive year of higher harvest. Solem gave the commission an overview of how conditions can shape pheasant numbers. He said weather plays a major factor, with hen survival affected by the severity of winter, while spring moisture and temperature affect nesting. 'Usually cool damp conditions can hamper nest success on the landscape,' he said, with brood survival depending on habitat conditions and on insect abundance that provide protein for chicks to reach adulthood. But more than anything, habitat is key to the long-term population trends, according to Solem. He said pheasants need grass, and having CRP acres and rotational grazing are important. Solem said cumulative snowfall November to March is a predictor; the more snow, the more impact on pheasant abundance. Mild winters lead to better hen survival, according to Solem. He said South Dakota had 'a phenomenal mild winter' in many places with below normal snowfall. 'The mild winter can certainly help us,' he said. But that meant other sources of moisture were needed to get grass growing to provide good cover, according to Solem. April and May moisture needs to be right between 4 to 6 inches to initiate cover. 'We've had really good timely rains,' he said. April and May temperatures also matter, with higher average cumulative temps tending to match with better production, according to Solem. 'The grass is responding great. It's going very, very well,' he said. Damage from flash flooding and hailstorms can reduce population in local areas, but quality habitat can mitigate extreme weather events, Solem said. Having good quality winter habitat provides thermal cover and allows pheasants to avoid predators, he said. GFP Secretary Kevin Robling recognized the department's habitat staff for their efforts and the private landowners and ag producers throughout South Dakota who cooperate and set aside acres for wildlife management purposes through rotational grazing. He said South Dakota has 'a land ethic second to none across the nation' and the pheasant production reflects that. 'It has a lot to do with our ag producers and landowners across South Dakota,' Robling said. 'We thank them.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
UPDATE Flash flood warning in effect for parts of Coal Region; Strong thunderstorms to hit Valley this afternoon
Strong thunderstorms are forecast to develop across the Susquehanna Valley this afternoon as a slow-moving cold front moves into the northwestern corner of Pennsylvania. According to the National Weather Service, potentially severe thunderstorms will move out of Ohio. These storms will be moving east at around 25 mph and will affect the Laurel Highlands, including Somerset and Johnstown this morning, before sliding east into the Interstate 99 corridor, including State College, Altoona and Bedford between 11 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. The NWS has issued a flash flood warning for parts of Columbia, Northumberland and Schuylkill counties until 3:30 p.m. According to NWS, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the area, where there has already been more than an inch of rain, additional rainfall amounts up to an inch are possible. NWS Tweet Some locations that will experience flash flooding include Mount Carmel, Kulpmont, Ashland, Lavelle, Aristes, Fountain Springs, Wilburton Number One, Locustdale, Beurys Lake, Wilburton Number Two, Gordon, Marion Heights, Centralia, Pitman and the Schuylkill County Airport, according to the warning. The storms will likely intensify as they approach and impact the Middle Susquehanna Valley and Interstate 81 corridor between 1 and 3 p.m., NWS reports Wind gusts up to 55 MPH are possible with these storms, along with nickel-size hail in some locations. This is a developing story. More details will be published when they become available.
