Storm

Written by L. James Biddle Friday, 25 June 2010 00:00

The storm of Thursday, June 24 will be remembered for  its massive loss of electricity, isolated neighborhoods, damaged trees and landscapes and home damages.  The forecast for the day told of high temperatures and, depending upon the forecaster, stories about possible wind and rain.

The possibilities of wind and rain became a reality at approximately 3 p.m. when the cloud cover began its rapid advance into Delaware County.  The wind speed accelerated from mild winds in the under 15 mph velocity to a sustained peak of 57 mph hour at 3:20 p.m..

Anyone looking out through windows also saw the unusual form of sheets of wind-driven rain and occasional small diameter hail as the storm marched toward the southeastern areas of the county.    During this severe weather, approximately 1-1/2 inches of rain pelted the area.

The normal home-bound rush hour traffic became a near parking lot.  Fallen trees, loss of traffic lights and the storm’s wind and rain had dramatic impact on West Chester Pike and other major roads within Newtown and Marple Townships.

The remnants of this storm have created a lasting mark on both the appearance and lifestyles of residents and commuters.  The restricting of traffic because of downed trees with imbedded utility wires was so dangerous that several areas within Newtown Township were totally isolated. 

Equally inconveniencing was the loss of electricity.  On Friday morning, projections of the restoration of electricity in multiple areas were being cited in possible days, not hours.

During the storm, every piece of Newtown Square Fire Company apparatus was in service.  The amount of trees down across driving lanes saw every power saw as well as hand saws pressed into service.

Newtown Square fire crews responded to over 30 calls during the initial stages of the storm.  With the restoration of electric power Chief Doug Simpson added, “We will probably have a collection of automatic fire alarms.  Hopefully, we will not be as active as we were on Thursday and early Friday.

While the types of calls were what is described as typical for a storm, the numbers of calls for downed wires, transformers, and trapped vehicles were far in excess of the average storm.

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