Strong winds in Schuylkill County resulted in power outages, downed trees and property damage over the weekend.
The National Weather Service, State College, issued a high wind warning from midnight Saturday to noon Sunday. A supervisor with the Schuylkill County Communications Center said he was not aware of any major damage, although a tree fell on a house in Pottsville, he said.
“There were some trees and wire incidents,” he said.
The highest wind reported in the county was 52 mph at 4:08 a.m. Sunday in Bears Head, Delano Township, according to the NWS website, www.weather.gov.
Patrick Lester, a representative for PPL, said the highest power outage recorded in the county was 1,710 customers about 11 p.m. Saturday.
“It was all storm related,” he said.
Areas that experienced power outages included Auburn and South Manheim and North Union townships.
By 5:25 p.m. Sunday, Lester said power was restored to all customers.
Pottsville Assistant Fire Chief Jason Witmier said the fire department responded to 839 Water St. for trees on a house and garage about 6:30 a.m. Sunday.
“No one was injured. It came across the roof,” he said.
The fire department removed as much of the trees as possible.
Eric Lord and his parents, Dennis and Barbara Lord, live at the home. Eric said he was watching TV in the family room about 4:15 a.m. when the tree fell.
“I heard this loud boom,” he said.
Lord said he went outside and saw the awning was damaged. Inside, he said, ceiling tiles crashed down near the area he was seated.
“The whole house just shook,” he said, adding the noise woke up his parents.
Later, they discovered two large trees had fallen on their house.
“Three branches went through it,” Eric Lord said.
Dennis Lord said 32 holes were visible in the rubber roof. They were temporarily patched. A shed also received heavy damage.
The family is still able to stay in the house. A representative with an insurance company was at the house Sunday to assess the damage.
Dennis estimated that one of the pine trees that fell was about 70 to 80 feet tall. The tree then hit a smaller tree, which he estimated was about 20 or 30 feet high.
The ground around the home was littered with pine needles and pieces of the cut-up trees. Dennis said the trees would be removed today.
“Nobody was hurt. That’s the important thing,” he said.
The city fire department was also called to Red Horse Road, along Gordon Nagle Trail, and Adams Street for trees laying across roads, Witmier said.