A weather phenomenon known as microbursts caused downed trees, collapsed roofs and flash flooding damage in the Philadelphia region on Saturday.
According to the National Weather Service, at least four microbursts with 60 to 70 mph winds occurred in the area from southern Montgomery Count to West, Southwest and South Philadelphia.
A microburst brings strong, straight-line wind, which is different than a tornado, but can also cause extensive damage.
The first microburst began at around 2:44 p.m. in Lower Merion Township, according to the NWS. The second microburst occurred in the northern neighborhoods in West Philadelphia at around 2:52 p.m. The third microburst occurred in South Philadelphia at around 3:01 p.m., and a fourth also occurred in South Philadelphia at around 3:12 p.m.
The microbursts ended at around 3:15 p.m., the NWS said.
Videos coming into NBC10 show the extent of damage caused by the microbursts and strong thunderstorms that swept through the region Saturday afternoon.
In the area of 55th and Vine streets in West Philadelphia, a roof at least partially blew off a Philadelphia Housing Authority apartment building.
NBC10’s Kelsey Kushner was on the scene to find the roof, along with other debris, on the street. At least four cars were damaged, and dozens of residents of the building were evacuated.
Officials said the building suffered water damage along with the roof coming off, and 11 units have been impacted. The residents have been taken to hotels and replacement units will be available as soon as Monday.
Mayor Cherelle Parker and other Philadelphia leaders held a press conference at the location at around 8:15 p.m., where they said crews will be working nonstop throughout the night to clear downed trees and wires, as well as other debris in the city.
Officials also urged people to avoid downed wires and call 311 to report damage, or 911 if it is an emergency.
AT least four microbursts caused widespread damage in West and South Philadelphia on Saturday. Mayor Cherelle Parker and other leaders provided an evening update on the situation. Watch the full press conference here.
A vacant building also partially collapsed at S. 24th Street near Washington Avenue in Southwest Center City. NBC10 was on scene to find that bricks and other debris had fallen on a Jeep. No injuries have been reported.
Ayhan Yuksal, the owner of the vacant building, said that the building has been empty for 20 years and he planned to make apartments at the site.
A building collapse at the 5600 block of Lansdowne Avenue also damaged cars and filled the street with bricks.
Carroll Park in West Philadelphia was also severely damaged, with several trees downed.
Several other videos shared with NBC10 showed downed trees on cars and other damage on Saturday.
Tree down at 43rd and Locust streets
Another angle of tree down at 43rd and Locust streets in West Philadelphia.
A large tree or several trees also fell in front of a home at Market and Millbourne streets in Upper Darby.
In Lower Merion Township, a state of emergency was declared due to downed trees and wires, and officials urged people to stay off the roads.
NBC10 was in Lower Merion to find damage from several trees down, including more than one tree down on one property.
SEPTA is also telling riders there are currently systemwide delays or cancelations due to the storms.
And, more than 33,000 PECO customers were without power as of 7:12 p.m., according to its outage tracker.
According to our NBC10 First Alert Meteorology Team, the threat of flash flooding has ended, and the rest of the weekend will be mostly nice and dry.
This is a developing story; check back for more details.