West Philadelphia residents brace for more severe weather as recovery from prior storms continues

Ten days after a series of severe storms known as microbursts hit parts of South and West Philadelphia, some are still picking up the pieces. Meanwhile, more severe weather is possible Tuesday night.

People on Malvern Avenue in Wynnefield said they're worried about the next storm.

That's because this neighborhood dealt with a 1-2 punch earlier this month with storms on July 4 and July 11 that knocked down trees and power lines. 

Naziyah Wadley said the July 4 storm caused a tree to go through her mom's car windshield. One week later, the microbursts sent another tree into a row of homes on her street.

"It fell on the whole roof. It broke her whole fence and everything. She couldn't even come out the house. She was stuck inside," Wadley said. 

In West Philadelphia, Naeesha Turner and her family have been displaced since July 11. 

She said a tree in her neighbor's yard fell onto her property, taking down wires, breaking a window and damaging her roof. 

Turner said the tree was removed Saturday, six days after the storm, but she still doesn't have power, and she's waiting on her insurance company before she can start repairs. 

"It's ten days later, we have more storms coming, and I'm just like, what is me and my family supposed to do?" Turner said.

After hosting resource centers for the past three days for people affected by the storms, a city spokesperson said officials received 443 requests for assistance from residents. The Office of Emergency Management said it has reviewed nearly 1,000 damage reports submitted by residents. 

The city is working with PECO, the Red Cross and the state on recovery efforts. Residents can report damage in their neighborhoods through a form called the OEM damage reporter.