Community Corner

UPDATE: Severe Thunderstorm Hits Area, Cranberry Residents Report Pea-Sized Hail

National Weather Service warns of high winds, hail. More than 300 homes in Cranberry and close to 500 homes in Jackson Township are without power.

UPDATE: The National Weather Service upgraded its severe thunderstorm watch to a warning, which is in effect until 5 p.m. Thursday.

It is for northern Allegheny County, extreme southwestern Armstrong County, Beaver County, southern Butler County and southwestern Lawrence County as well as parts of Ohio and West Virginia.

"In addition to large hail and damaging wind ... continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm," the National Weather Service website states. "Move indoors immediately! Lightning is a killer. If you can hear thunder... you are close enough to be struck by lightning."

Find out what's happening in Cranberrywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A flash flood watch also has been issued until 10 p.m.

Penn Power is mobilizing employees and resources should the storms wipe out electricity for customers.

Find out what's happening in Cranberrywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"All FirstEnergy utilities are on high alert and continue preparations to mobilize employees and resources, as needed, from throughout FirstEnergy’s 10 utilities to assist in storm restoration activities in the hardest-hit areas," a statement from the company said.

On the Cranberry Patch Facebook page, several residents in the Cranberry Heights neighborhood reported seeing pea-sized hail. Other readers noted the power flickering on and off in their homes.

At about 4:15 p.m, Cranberry said crews were dispatched to two signals in flash along Freedom Road at the intersections with Thorn Hill and at Haldeman Drive. The signals have since been reset and are back in operation.

According to the Penn Power outage map, 317 customers in Cranberry, 484 customers in Jackson Township and 361 customers in Adams Township are without power.  

The also reported it received two calls for downed trees, including one near Garvin Road.

Because of the inclement weather, Camp Cranberry is being relocated to the today. The Pittsburgh Philharmonic concert scheduled for tonight at also has been cancelled, as has the township's junior tennis program.

For up-to-date information on Penn Power's restoration efforts, current outages and tips for staying safe, go to www.firstenergycorp.com.

During significant service interruptions, outage information is also available via the company’s Twitter accounts.

Did you take photos of storm damage? Share them with Cranberry Patch readers by clicking the "Upload Photos and Videos" button.

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