A severe storm ripped through South Philadelphia on Saturday leaving fallen trees, branches and power lines in its path.
The storm, which intensified shortly after 3 p.m., hit the Girard Estates neighborhood especially hard, causing significant damage to Stephen Girard Park and the surrounding areas.
Moments after the storm had passed, PECO had announced 18,387 out of 696,427 customers (2.6 percent) were without power. At 7 p.m., more than 31,273 customers in the Philadelphia area, including suburbs, were without power.
According to the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, four severe microbursts with wind gusts of 60-70 miles per hour were detected in Lower Montgomery County, West Philadelphia and South Philadelphia. The width of the storm was estimated to be 4 to 5 miles, causing severe straight line wind damage.
According to the National Weather Service one microburst occurred in the western part of South Philadelphia causing a roof to be blown off a vacant building. Another microburst occurred in the Stadium District and the Navy Yard causing uprooted trees and other damages.
The city continues updating its live storm recovery blog with the latest operational information, available resources and recovery updates. Residents whose homes or property sustained storm-related damage are encouraged to submit reports through the city’s online damage tracker at phila.gov/damagereporter. Residents can also receive emergency information and recovery updates directly from the city by texting STORMPHL to 888-777 to enroll in the city’s free emergency text alert system.
Photos by Mark Zimmaro
