Thousands without power after severe storms roll through tri-state area

PITTSBURGH — Thousands of people woke up in the dark Saturday morning, after severe storms knocked out power across the region.

First Energy reported 11,260 power outages in Fayette County and 3,751 in Greene County.

Officials said Washington County had 7,121 outages and 1,047 in Westmoreland County.

Governor Earl Ray Tomblin has declared a state of emergency for West Virginia.

According to officials, more than half a million people are without power there.

Power outages were reported in at least 27 of the state’s 55 counties.

Governor John Kasich also declared a state of emergency in Ohio after hundreds of thousands were without power and killed at least one person.

American Electric Power reported 500,000 of its customers in Ohio remained without power Saturday morning.

The National Weather Service said the storms caused a lot of damage and were straight-line windstorms more common in the Midwest.

WPXI