Severe storms leave more than 700,000 without power from Plains to Northeast
Data from FindEnergy.com indicated that nearly a quater of a million customers throughout the region were without power on Tuesday from the severe storms, with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania being the hardest hit.
Damaging storms tear through Midwest, Great Lakes
A powerful storm system that brought severe weather to the central U.S. on Sunday and Monday continued its eastward trek Tuesday, with over 2,000 miles of the country under threat for severe weather.
PITTSBURGH – A powerful storm system that brought severe weather to the central U.S. on Sunday and Monday continued its eastward trek Tuesday, with over 2,000 miles of the country under threat for severe weather.
NOAA's Storm Prediction Center received hundreds of reports of severe weather, which included downed trees and power lines and even some roofs that were damaged by near-hurricane-force wind gusts.
Data from FindEnergy.com indicated that more than half a million customers throughout the region were without power on Tuesday from the severe storms, with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania being the hardest hit.
Most outages were reported around the Pittsburgh metro, which reported a wind gust to 71 mph.
Doppler radar indicated wind gusts could have topped 80 mph, with isolated, embedded tornadoes.
Officials reported a man was killed south of the Monongahela River after coming in contact with downed power lines.
Severe storms impact Western Pennsylvania on 4/29/2025. (FOX Weather)
In photos and videos taken from Allegheny County, dozens of homes appeared to be damaged by falling trees.
The Pittsburgh Public Safety Department reported even experiencing 911 outages due to the extreme weather.
The department encouraged residents who were having phone issues to call their local police zone districts for assistance.
"A large swath of destructive wind damage was seen across our area as storms rolled through. In some locations, straight-line winds gusted over 80-90 mph - stronger than many of the smaller EF-0 & EF-1 tornadoes we typically see in this region, but for a much, much wider area," meteorologists with the National Weather Service office in Pittsburgh stated.
Severe weather rocked parts of Missouri earlier on Tuesday morning, with thunderstorms producing 91-mph wind gusts in Springfield. In addition, schools in Ozark, Missouri, were told to shelter in place during a Tornado Warning.
There have also been numerous reports of trees and power lines down in Freistatt, Monett and Aurora.
Another community impacted by the storms was Purdy, Missouri, home to Camp Barnabas, a beloved organization that provides camping experiences for people with chronic illnesses and special needs.
Damage to Camp Barnabas in Purdy, Missouri on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Camp Barnabas / FOX Weather)
The camp was severely damaged during the storms. Many trees were knocked down on the property, damaging buildings and equipment. Campers are set to arrive in about a month. Volunteers and donations are needed to help them reopen in time to welcome the campers for the summer.
"We are so thankful for God’s protection today—and we’re trusting Him to provide through the hands and hearts of our community," Camp Barnabas wrote on Facebook.
Intense wind, rain and storm clouds roll through Springfield, Missouri
Video taken on Tuesday, April 29 shows severe weather moving through Missouri as power outages surged and reports of damages came in.
ADVICE FOR DEALING WITH STORM ANXIETY WHEN SEVERE WEATHER THREATENS
Plains, Midwest face heightened flash flood threat
Heavy rain is also expected to lead to flash flooding in portions of the Plains and Midwest.
NOAA's Weather Prediction Center (WPC) says the threat of flooding will stretch from Texas to the Great Lakes on Tuesday. However, a Level 3 out of 4 flood risk has been highlighted for portions of Texas and Oklahoma, including cities like Wichita Falls and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.