Severe storms bring trees down onto homes in Allegheny, Westmoreland counties

WESTMORELAND COUNTY, Pa. — Heavy rain and strong winds brought trees down across the region during severe storms on Wednesday evening.

Severe Weather Team 11 went to a home in Shaler and another in Trafford that were both damaged by falling trees.

A tree was pulled down and brought another down in its path, falling on top of a house along Summerhill Lane in Trafford, Westmoreland County around 7 p.m. Wednesday.

“It sounded like a very loud crash,” said a neighbor who didn’t want to be identified.

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A neighbor heard the crash and came running over. She said the woman who lives there with her two dogs just moved in not even two weeks ago.

The tree left a huge mess behind and quite a bit of damage. It crashed through the fence of a deck leaving it buried in branches. Large limbs broke some windows and went through the roof of the addition and kitchen.

“There’s a lot of insulation, debris, glass, drywall, all kinds of stuff that’s just scattered everywhere,” the neighbor said. “I’m glad she wasn’t home because I think she said if she was home, she’d be sitting right back there with her dogs. Luckily, it was a blessing she was not here and no one was hurt.”

By 9:30 p.m., Brinko Tree Service crews started cutting up the tree and clearing the branches.

Three people were downstairs in a home on Short Street in Shaler when a 50-foot pine tree that’s been there for decades was uprooted and crashed through the upstairs bedroom just before 5 p.m.

“I looked out the window and the wind was insane,” said next-door neighbor Tonya Reilly. “It started blowing everything and [my husband] looked out the door and yelled. He said, ‘Oh my God, our tree is in our neighbor’s house.’”

Thankfully, no one was hurt.

“The branch went through the attic and the bedroom ceiling and was sticking out about three feet in her bedroom,” said Dan Reilly, Tonya’s husband.

Their neighbor across the street, Ron, was shocked to see the uprooted tree when he came home from work.

“Oh, what a shame,” he said. “It was beautiful, biggest tree on the street.”

The damage in Westmoreland County was widespread. The county 911 supervisor told Channel 11 that downed trees and power lines spanned more than half of the county.

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