A First Alert had been declared for Thursday afternoon and evening as a cold front moved in, bringing severe storms that included strong wind gusts, heavy rainfall, hail, and the threat of isolated tornadoes across the region. This led to Tornado Warnings being issued for Chester and Delaware counties in Pennsylvania as well as New Castle County in Delaware, although these warnings were lifted shortly before 5:30 p.m.
As the storms approached, residents shared their experiences with NBC10, describing the frightening conditions as high winds knocked down trees, causing substantial damage and widespread power outages throughout the Philadelphia area and its suburbs. The Department of Public Safety in Montgomery County reported a staggering nearly 5,000 9-1-1 calls from 4 p.m. on Thursday until 4 a.m. on Friday. To put this into perspective, they typically receive around 1,000 calls in a 12-hour span, indicating the severe impact of the storms on the community.
As of Saturday morning, June 21, many residents remained without power, with the greatest number of outages reported in Montgomery County, where over 500 households were affected. Additional outages were reported in Delaware County (nearly 500), Chester County (over 200), and Philadelphia (approximately 200). Bucks County also had around 403 customers impacted.
In response to the situation, local officials opened facilities for residents to cool off and charge their electronic devices. The Montgomery Township Community and Recreation Center and Montgomery Mall were designated for this purpose, while the Lower Makefield Township Community Center was also open for those in need.
SEPTA service suffered disruptions due to the storms; on Friday morning, a tree branch fell on a train in North Philadelphia, which resulted in the suspension of the Manayunk/Norristown line. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported in the incident.
Despite the challenges, utility crews and local authorities are actively working to restore power and services, and community resources are available to support those affected by the storm. It’s a reminder of the strength of community resilience during such weather events—coming together in adversity can help individuals navigate through difficult situations like these.