Storm Rips Through Bucks Co. Leaving Fallen Trees, Power Outages

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — A severe storm swept through Central and Lower Bucks County Thursday evening with winds clocked as high as 70 mph, knocking out power to thousands and leaving a trail of closed roads, downed power lines, and fallen trees and branches.

PECO is reporting that the severe weather caused extensive damage to its electric system and impacted thousands in its five-county service area. They are also reporting it may be multiple days before everyone's power is restored.

At its height, more than 80,000 PECO customers in Bucks County were without power.

A fallen tree on Shady Retreat Road in Doylestown Township. (Doylestown Township Police)

Barricades blocking the roads. (Midway Volunteer Fire Company)

By Friday morning, that number had dropped to 39,762 with the largest concentration still out in Bristol Township, Bensalem, Lower Makefield, Yardley Borough, Newtown Township, Lower Southampton, Warminster, Middletown, Northampton, Upper Makefield, and Solebury.

Due to the storm, Washington Crossing Historic Park is without power and will remain closed for the rest of Friday including the Visitors Center, Bowman's Tower and the Thompson-Neely House and Grist Mill.

Here's what the roadways are looking like Friday morning:

Buckingham

In Buckingham, a portion of Route 413 remains closed Friday morning between New Road and Smith Road in both directions.

Northampton Township

• Open - Lower Holland at Holland Road
• Open - 685 Stoneyford Rd.
• Closed - Buck Rd. at Bucks County Roses
• Closed - Temperance Ln. at Hatboro Rd.
• Closed - Bustleton Pk. between Bristol Rd. and Elm Ave.
• Closed - 1035 Bridgetown Pk.
• Closed - Chinquapin Rd. at Buck Rd.

Sparking wires in Solebury. (Midway Volunteer Fire Company)

Solebury

Generators are in operation at Route 202 And Logan Square and Route 202 and Aquetong Road

Trees Blocking Roadways – no wires

• Sugan Road and Meetinghouse - Cleared
• Sugan Road and Muirfield Road - Cleared
• Windy Bush Road by New Hope border - Cleared
• 202 & Hermitage Drive - Cleared
• Lwr Mountain Road near Wynfield - Cleared
• Lwr Mountain near Aquetong Spring Park - Cleared
• 2456 Aquetong Road - Cleared
• 2626 Aquetong Road-unfounded
• Street Rd between Upper Mountain Rd and the Railroad tracks -cleared

Trees in Wires or Wires on The Ground

• Upper Mountain Rd between Aquetong Rd and 202 - REMAIN CLOSED
• 202 between Aquetong road and Upper Mountain ROad- Remain Closed
• 2509 Reeder Rd tree on wires overhead - cones around wires, one lane open

Still Investigating

• Dewees Road and Corrigan Road- tree in wires
• Paxson Road between Paxson Hill Road and Sugan Road- tree in wires
• Street Rd at Pidcock Creek - closed

Lower Makefield

Charging Station/Yard Waste - In response to Thursday night's storm, the LMT Community Center at 1550 Oxford Valley Road will be open Friday as a cooling and charging station. It will remain open as long as needed. In addition, the yard waste area is also open for storm-related wood waste and tree debris, and will remain open until 2:30 pm on Friday. For questions, call 267-274-1100.

Upper Makefield

Street Report - Good news to report in the township. All roads are now open except for the 200 block of Thompson Mill Road and Highland Road between Scott Drive and the cemetery.

Charging Center - The township's Emergency Management Administrator, in coordination with the township, has opened the Upper Makefield Township building as a cooling and charging center. The building is running under a generator "so stop by and charge your phones, use the facilities and cool down."

Park Closed - Due to the storm, Washington Crossing Historic Park is without power and will remain closed for the rest of Friday, including the Visitors Center, Bowman's Tower and the Thompson-Neely House and Grist Mill.