Oakmont Borough declares state of emergency after powerful storms ripped through the region

People in Oakmont are beginning cleanup efforts after severe storms tore through the community Thursday night, leaving behind widespread damage, downed trees, blocked roads, power outages, and dangerous conditions throughout the borough.

Oakmont officials declared a state of emergency on Thursday night as crews worked to clear debris and assess damage. Borough officials say they have surveyed the entire community and identified the location of downed or damaged trees. 

It is not necessary to contact the Borough offices about downed or hazardous trees.

One of the most significant scenes was along Maryland Avenue, where a massive tree was uprooted during the storm, leaving a large hole in the ground before crashing into a nearby home. Despite the extensive damage, no injuries were reported.

Neighbors were shocked while walking around the neighborhood Friday morning.

"It looks pretty bad, and it moved up the sidewalk, so they're going to have to fix that too. I don't know how they're going to get the tree out," said Leo Osborne, who lives in Oakmont.

"This is Mother Nature at her purest," said Jane Foster.

People woke up Friday to find streets littered with fallen branches, damaged trees, and debris scattered throughout neighborhoods. The borough says that "Borough Trees (trees between the curb and sidewalk): These trees will be cleared in no specific order except trees with utility lines intermixed in branches cannot be cleared until Duquesne Light clears the lines."

"It looks like a warzone in our town," said Foster.

Foster, who is a lifelong Oakmont resident, said the sight of a large tree crashing into a home was difficult to process, especially knowing how old and cherished the trees are to the neighborhood.

"It's just amazing. I've been a resident of Oakmont my lifetime, and to see a tree that old just go over on that house is traumatic for everybody," said Foster.

Throughout the borough, trees were ripped from the ground, split in half, and all across roadways. Cleanup crews and homeowners began working early Friday morning.

"It's a heck of a storm. As long as nobody's hurt, all the property you can fix," said Russ Anderson, who works in Oakmont.

Travel around town remained challenging as numerous roads were blocked and several traffic signals were knocked out by the storm. Schools in the area were also closed due to storm-related impacts.

Oakmont officials are asking residents to be patient as storm cleanup continues across the borough. Roadside piles of tree limbs and other storm debris will not be collected until next week, so there is no need to rush to place debris at the curb today. 

For privately owned trees that are blocking sidewalks or roadways, the borough will clear hazards from the public right-of-way but will not remove the private trees themselves. 

Meanwhile, Duquesne Light crews are working throughout Oakmont to restore electrical service.