LEWISTOWN - Mifflin County saw substantial damage as the result of a severe thunderstorm that rolled through the area Tuesday afternoon.
At 3:55 p.m. Tuesday, the National Weather Service in State College issued a severe thunderstorm warning which extended until 5 p.m., with a severe thunderstorm watch until 9 p.m. Doppler radar indicated a line of severe thunderstorms extending from Dunnstown to Lake Gordon, moving southeast at 45 miles per hour.
Damage in the Mifflin County included fallen trees, downed power lines, power outages, transformer fires, destruction to buildings, and even roadway closings, said Phil Lucas, Executive Director of Mifflin County Emergency Services.
Article Photos
Sentinel photo by BRADLEY KREITZER
A tree lays split in half in front of a home on Summit Drive in Highland Park Tuesday evening. The tree was damaged during the severe storm which swept through the area in the afternoon.
According to Lucas, Mifflin County saw widespread wind and rain damage. Lucas said the hardest-hit area was Burnham, extending outward into Lewistown and Derry Township.
Lucas also said that there were several road closings due to partial obstruction from fallen tree limbs and other debris. Less than 1,500 residents in the area suffered power outages, however, the majority of those had their service restored by the end of the evening.
One notable accident occurred when a tractor-trailer slid off the road on U.S. 322 west bound. Traffic was stopped for around 10 minutes, Lucas said, while the accident and resulting fuel spill was cleared. No injuries were reported.
Juniata County Emergency officials reported no significant damage.
AccuWeather forecasts mostly sunny skies with a high of 80 degrees for Wednesday.
