Philadelphians continued to clean up Sunday, a day after a severe storm damaged buildings and felled countless trees.

On the 5100 block of Pine Street in West Philadelphia, a massive limb came to rest atop a white truck, blocking traffic. Across the Street in Malcolm X Park, trees were uprooted and branches created an obstacle course for kids trying to play.

A series of at least four microbursts hit the region Saturday afternoon, bringing wind gusts between 60 and 70 mph from 2:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. South and West Philadelphia, along with sections of southern Montgomery and eastern Delaware County, were impacted.

“We saw utility poles literally split in half like matchsticks,” Mayor Cherelle Parker told reporters.

Municipal leaders, including Parker, gave thanks Sunday that there appeared to be no deaths related to the storm.

However, portions of two apartment buildings had to be evacuated, and an unknown number of homes and vehicles were damaged.

Roofing components and rubber insulation were blown off of one of the buildings in the Philadelphia Housing Authority’s Arch Homes development, near 55th and Vine Streets in West Philadelphia. The damage allowed a significant amount of water to get into 11 units at the property, PHA President and CEO Kelvin Jeremiah told reporters.

Residents have been temporarily relocated to a nearby hotel, and PHA is working to identify replacement units for the families while the building is repaired, he added.

A dozen people were also displaced from a residential building on the 2400 block of Washington Avenue in Grays Ferry, according to the city. Municipal inspectors are overseeing the partial demolition and stabilization of the structure, Parker administration representatives said Sunday.

Fire Commissioner Jeffrey Thompson said that his department had responded to four vehicles stuck in flood waters and 125 calls related to downed power lines. The city’s Department of Parks and Recreation was investigating nearly 300 tree-related emergencies.

Philadelphians are advised to dial 911 if a fallen tree is blocking a street or is on top of a home, car or other structure. Residents can call PECO at 1-800-841-4141 to report issues with wires. Non-emergency tree problems can be reported through the city’s 311 system. Individuals should avoid contact with power lines and assume that they are live, officials said.

At the height of the storm, more than 26,000 city homes were without power. PECO said the number had been reduced to fewer than 3,000 by Sunday afternoon.

Deputy City Managing Director Dominick Mireles encouraged residents to photograph any damage to their property and reach out to the insurance company responsible for the car, homeowner or renter policy. Mireles also asked people to fill out a survey at phila.gov/damagereporter to help the city assess the cost of the storm and potentially access state or federal relief dollars.

Several recreational areas, including the Schuylkill River Trail, remained closed Sunday, and some recreation centers will likely be closed Monday. Summer campers will be relocated to the closest available site, according to Parks and Recreation.

A tree fell into Marian Anderson Pool in South Philadelphia, but officials said it would be removed and all pools are set to open Monday.

Parker, in the hours following the storm, issued a disaster declaration and toured the hardest hit neighborhoods. 

“If somebody calls you and says, ‘How long will this cleanup take?’ she said. “I want you to tell them, ‘It will take as long as is necessary to make sure that we get the job done and we cross the t’s and we dot all of the i’s.'” 

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Keywords

Philadelphia,

West Philadelphia,

South Philadelphia,

microbursts,

severe weather,

storm damage,

cleanup,

National Weather Service,

Cherelle Parker,

PECO