Jun 15, 2022 4 min read

Southwestern Pennsylvania was spared the worst of the severe storms that swept through the area early Tuesday morning, including a “double derecho” that slammed into Wheeling, W.Va.

While the northern panhandle of West Virginia sustained the bulk of the damage and power outages, the storm system mostly dissipated by the time it crossed the state line and reached Greene and Washington counties.

“We were blessed. God’s hands came down and spread (the line of storms),” Greene County Emergency Management Director Rich Policz said after receiving only a few reports of damage in the western part of the county. “It went south and north of us.”

More than 600 customers there were without electricity Tuesday morning, although West Penn Power crews were able to quickly restore power to most of them by noon.

Similarly in Washington County, nearly 800 customers were without power early Tuesday morning, according to West Penn. Like in Greene, the bulk of the outages were reported in the western part of Washington County near the state line with West Virginia.

Washington County Public Safety Director Gerry Coleman said there were some trees blocking rural roads in the western municipalities and a house in Cecil Township was struck by lightning, but overall the county made it through the storm without major problems.

“None at all, at least that I’m aware of,” Coleman said, adding that the county’s 911 center never went into “storm mode” as the system passed through. “Knock on wood, we made it through pretty good.”

The same could not be said of Wheeling, as more than 16,000 customers there were left without power following the storm, according to American Electric Power that services Ohio and West Virginia. An AEP spokeswoman blamed the damage and power outages on two derechos – widespread, long-lived wind storms associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms – that came through the area in rapid succession. Wheeling Hospital was forced to use a backup generator to keep powering the facility. It was not known when electricity would be restored to all customers affected in West Virginia’s northern panhandle.

Jason Frazier, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh, said the southwest corner of Greene County received about three-quarters of an inch of rainfall, while some spots in Washington County received about an inch of rain, Frazier said.

“The storms generally weakened just as they were starting to get into that area,” Frazier said. “The wind, maybe it gusted, but it didn’t do much damage. Most of the damage was in the Wheeling area.”

In the wake of Tuesday’s storms, a heat wave is expected to last through the end of this week.

“(Wednesday), we’re looking at temperatures rising to the lower to potentially mid-90s, with heat index values eclipsing 100 degrees,” Frazier said.

Hot and humid conditions will continue through Thursday, with temperatures hanging in the low 90s. Frazier said there’s the possibility of a thunderstorm rolling through the region Thursday evening, which will bring cooler temps and severe weather.

Until then, he advised folks to stay indoors during the hottest parts of the day and limit their exposure to the sun.

Cooling stations were expected to open to residents throughout Washington County as temperatures rise. Those without air conditioning may find refuge inside various senior centers dotted throughout Washington County.

“Our senior centers are cooling islands,” said Mary Lynn Spilak, director of Washington County Aging Services. “They’re open every day from 8:30 to 4. Anyone can come and cool down.”

A list of senior centers is available online at www.swpa-aaa.org. It’s recommended that people call ahead to ensure the center is open before heading out to cool off.

Due to production problems created by the severe storms that hit the region, the Observer-Reporter went to press early Tuesday. Some later-occurring news and sporting events are not included in today’s print edition.