READING, Pa. \u2013 A tree, wires down and a damaged car \u2014 that\u2019s what Maria Algar\u00edn found outside her home on West Douglass Street in Reading Monday afternoon.<\/p>\n
\u201cI parked the car there and went upstairs. Then when I looked back, my uncle was standing here and told me to look, and that’s when I saw it. The tree was already across the car,\u201d Algar\u00edn said.<\/p>\n
The branches hit her partner\u2019s car and pulled down phone and internet lines.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt fell right there and dented the fender a little,\u201d she said. \u201cThank God it didn’t hit the windshield.\u201d<\/p>\n
Across Berks County, emergency crews have been preparing for severe weather all day.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeems to be an active day today, so we’re spreading that information on our social media platforms as well,\u201d said Colin Hackman, chief of Spring Township Fire and Rescue.<\/p>\n
Windy conditions caused problems in Cumru Township, where a tree fell across Ledge Rock Road near Holly Lane. Another tree was leaning onto wires along New Holland Road.<\/p>\n
The threat of severe weather also led some schools to take precautions, including the Upper Perkiomen School District.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m glad they’re letting the kids out early. I definitely feel safer with them being at home,\u201d one parent said.<\/p>\n
Fire officials say strong winds can create dangerous situations.<\/p>\n
\u201cBe cautious,\u201d Hackman said. \u201cEven if there’s not tornadoes, high winds are projected potentially, so you have the risk of falling trees and power lines down.\u201d<\/p>\n