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Powerful winds, heavy rains cause power outages, damage

PITTSBURGH — Parts of southwestern Pennsylvania are cleaning up downed trees and other debris after a line of strong thunderstorms -- rare for November -- swept through the area.

The National Weather Service said the storms produced winds up to 60 mph as they moved through Pittsburgh and surrounding areas early Friday.

The storms were brief in duration -- taking only 20 or 30 minutes to move through most areas -- but they caused widespread, though sporadic, power outages.

Duquesne Light officials said about 400 customers were without power as of 2 p.m. Friday.

There were several reports of downed trees, including on Independence Road in Hopewell. Emergency dispatchers said a large tree fell on the roof of a home on Millers Lane in Plum.

Meanwhile, authorities said a tree fell on a gas line on Windgap Avenue in the West End.

Gas company crews were called to the scene and shut off the gas while they worked to fix the leak.

The power outages caused several area school districts to operate on a two-hour delay. For a list of those schools, click here.