School Closures Continue as Cleanup Efforts Persist in Western Pennsylvania

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania — Multiple school districts in western Pennsylvania remain closed due to ongoing cleanup efforts from severe storms that struck the region earlier this week. Crews are working tirelessly to restore power and remove debris, with several districts canceling classes for a third consecutive day.

Outage maps indicated that tens of thousands of customers were still experiencing power outages as of Thursday. Duquesne Light reported that they have restored power to approximately 60% of affected customers, but some may not regain electricity until May 6.

As severe weather impacted dozens of states across the country, western Pennsylvania experienced particularly intense storms on Tuesday night. Authorities confirmed two fatalities in the state due to the extreme conditions, which included destructive winds and heavy rainfall that left nearly 700,000 customers without power in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions.

In a statement, officials emphasized the seriousness of the situation, advising residents to stay home while emergency services collaborated with utility companies to restore power. The National Weather Service warned of damaging wind gusts that were recorded at up to 90 mph across the area, creating conditions stronger than smaller tornadoes typically seen in the region.

The Fox Chapel Area School District announced all schools would be closed on Friday, with no online education taking place either. To assist families affected by the closures, free meal distribution will occur at Kerr Elementary School from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Friday.

Forecasts indicate the possibility of rain continuing through the weekend, with another chance for severe weather on Tuesday. Residents are urged to stay updated on weather developments and power restoration efforts as conditions remain unstable.