22,000 Still Without Power In Bucks Co. After Storms

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — Roughly 22,000 homes in Bucks County remained without power Thursday afternoon, a day after severe storms ripped through the area.

Bucks County Emergency Services Director Scott Forster said that winds above 80 m.ph. were recorded during the storms, which downed trees and power lines and damaged buildings, particularly in Lower Bucks.

"As the storms came from the north to the south, they increased in intensity," Forster said during an online news conference on Thursday.

At the peak on Wednesday, nearly 70,000 homes were without power in Bucks County, Forster said. He said PECO continues to work restoring power, but it could be into the weekend before all power is restored.

"I'm going to ask people to be patient," Forster said. "There is a lot of infrastructure damage. This is going to be a couple-of-day process. It's going to take a couple of days to get these issues resolved."

No injuries or deaths have been reported in Bucks County due to the storms, Forster said. Four people were killed in the storms in southeastern Pennsylvania, officials have said, including three in neighboring Montgomery County.

In Bristol Township, the roof was ripped offof one building and a tree crashed through the roof of another, according to officials.

Forster said more than a dozen nursing homes and other long-term care facilities were without power in Bucks County on Wednesday. In 90 minutes, he said, the county received more than 1,800 calls for service after the storms.

He urged residents walking outside to be careful.

"If you see a downed wire, do not go near it," he said. "Do not assume it's not a power line. Do not assume that it's not live. Stay away from any downed wires."