Strong Storms Rumble Through Pittsburgh Region, Causing Damage

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The thunderstorms that rumbled through parts of the Pittsburgh area late Thursday were fast moving, but they packed a powerful punch.

In Wilkinsburg, high winds downed trees and caused road closures.

In Lincoln Borough, the problem wasn't the wind, but the heavy downpours that resulted in flooding.

A small creek overflowed its banks, causing the high water to flood sections of Coursin Road.

A few miles away, on Coal Hollow Road #1 in Jefferson Hills, a bolt of lightning hit a tree. When part of the tree fell onto the road, it brought down wires with it.

The couple that lived close by was afraid to come out of their front door because of the loose wires that came down and started sparking.

"My wife went to the front door, it was raining pretty good, and I heard the hail," Bob Hough told KDKA News.

"Then we heard a loud bang, and everything went black when we lost power."

Hough said it was scary, explaining "it kind of looked like it was almost snowing, that's how heavy the rain and hail came down."

And, in Pittsburgh, by early evening, the rain had lightened up. But, police had to close a stretch of Becks Run Road because of high water, which stranded several drivers in their cars.

As of late Thursday night, Duquesne Light and Allegheny Power had a combined total of nearly 4,000 customers without power because of downed power lines.

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