Locust Walk sees downed branches, gusts strong enough to knock people over.
Photo Credit: Sarah Mester
By Sarah Mester
Strong winds of up to 60 mph pummeled campus early Sunday evening, resulting in a large down branch on Locust Walk, power outages surrounding campus, and at least one downed power line on campus as of Sunday at 7:00 PM. A special weather statement was issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at 4:48 pm warning of a strong approaching cold front containing wind gusts of up to 60 mph that advised the public to “consider seeking shelter inside a building”. A high wind warning issued earlier in the afternoon remains in effect until Monday at 6:00 pm.
At least three fire engines and three police cars responded to a downed power line near 40th and Locust Street, causing southbound traffic on 40th St. to be blocked between Walnut Street. and Spruce Street. Pedestrians on Locust Walk struggled to stay standing or keep their umbrellas from breaking as the powerful wind blew through an area of Locust Walk often known as the “wind tunnel” in High-Rise Field. The west facing doors of Rodin College House were wedged shut.
According to PowerOutage.US, 1.65% or ~11,000 customers in Philadelphia County do not have power as of 6:20 pm. Near campus thus far, there are some power outages up Spruce Street from 42nd. There is currently no law enforcement directing traffic despite traffic signals at the intersection being out.
A video circulated on Sidechat, an anonymous posting platform used widely by Penn students, showing a fire breaking out from a broken power line. The video appears to have been taken on Locust Street between 40th and 41st. Water was seen being sprayed in the general vicinity. The details of this incident are still unclear but the fire and damage seems to have cleared.
Sarah Mester is a senior in the College studying Political Science and Classics from San Francisco, CA. She’s the News Editor for The Pennsylvania Post. Her email is smester@sas.upenn.edu.
