Strong winds battered the Pittsburgh area on Friday, leaving about 280,000 customers without power after wind toppled power lines and trees.
The National Weather Service issued widespread warnings for wind across Ohio, West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania, leaving millions of people in the crosshairs of intense gusts. Wind gusts of 59 mph were recorded on Friday at Allegheny County Airport and Pittsburgh International Airport, according to a post on X from National Weather Service Pittsburgh.
The winds began to diminish around 10:30 p.m. on Friday, setting up massive restoration efforts by crews from Duquesne Light and First Energy.
“Crews are currently working to isolate and restore as many customers as possible, focusing first on critical and emergent needs,” Duquesne Light said in a press release on Friday night.
Duquesne Light power outages
Duquesne Light, which covers parts of Allegheny and Beaver counties, reported approximately 98,000 customers still without power as of 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.
An alert on Duquesne Light’s website read, “Due to the high winds that are impacting our area, we have extra crews to ensure we can safely respond to outages as quickly as possible. Because of potentially hazardous conditions, some response times may be delayed during the event.”
First Energy power outages
First Energy reported more than 58,000 customers still without power in the Pittsburgh area as of 8:45 a.m. on Saturday. The counties hardest hit on Friday included Allegheny, Butler, Washington and Westmoreland.
High winds cause damage
Reports of damage came in from across southwestern Pennsylvania. In Pittsburgh’s Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood, a tree fell on a home on Ingham Street. Also, several roads were temporarily closed due to downed trees and power lines
A tree fell on a home in Pittsburgh’s Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood on March 13, 2026.
(Photo: KDKA)
In a Facebook post on Friday, Allegheny County Emergency Services advised people to avoid driving unless it was necessary, adding that staying off the roads benefits emergency crews and power companies. Officials also said to avoid downed trees and power lines.
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