UPDATE: 12:00pm Approximately 250 Duquesne Light customers are without power this morning. Spokesperson Joey Vallarian said crews are expected to have all service restored this afternoon.
UPDATE: 7:00 am Approximately 1,400 Duquesne Light customers are without power this morning. Spokesperson Joey Vallarian said crews are expected to have all service restored this afternoon.
Less than a week after heavy rainstorms triggered flash flooding and power outages, the Pittsburgh area is seeing a repeat with storms rolling through the region.
The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Warning for North Central Fayette County and Southwestern Westmoreland County until 7:45 pm Tuesday. The Weather Service says the storms can dump up to 1.5 inches of rain in less than an hour with the heaviest rain affecting West Newton, Smithton and Perryopolis.
Duquesne Light spokesman Joey Vallarian says about 8,250 customers have lost power in their service area and that crews are "out in full force."
There have been numerous reports throughout the area of downed power lines and transformers struck by lightning. In addition, street flooding is reported in several communities including Highland Park where Washington Boulevard was closed from Allegheny River Boulevard to Negley Run. Automatic flood gates deployed when sewers couldn't handle the heavy rainfall. City officials say fire crews responded and cleared the drains. As of 5:20 pm Washington Boulevard was being reopened.
Allegheny County officials say the heaviest rainfall was recorded in Hampton which received 1.4 inches in an hour.
