'I've Never Seen The Sky Like That': Fast-Moving Storm Leaves Homes Condemned In Croydon
CROYDON, Pa. (CBS) – More strong storms struck the area Sunday night with Bucks County seeing a lot of weather-related damage. An apartment building in Bensalem burst into flames after lightning struck and left some families in Croydon in a dire situation.
At least three homes have been condemned, including an old convent, after trees toppled onto them or their roofs were ripped off.
The Saint Thomas Aquinas Convent is now a house on Belmont Avenue, by Bristol Pike. Nuns no longer live here, but other people do and it's known to a lot of neighbors here because of its history.
It's more than a century old and inside has a chapel and even some relics, but last night's storm knocked over a massive tree and crushed the old convent.
Suzie Bartow lived at the old convent for decades and raised her family there.
"I just paid it off Friday," Bartow said. "I just paid my house off on Friday."
"It's devastating. That's all I can say. She loses a lot inside. Stuff you can't replace," Jessica Fletcher said.
One apartment building on Bristol Pike by Newportville Road in Croydon saw a large chunk of its roof torn off by the fast-moving storm.
"Seeing it in that nature, that quick, that fast, it was extraordinary," Stephen Law, of Croydon, said.
Officials say two homes were crushed by fallen trees.
"Some sort of weather event came through here in Croydon," Bristol Township Fire Marshall Kevin Dippolito said. "We don't know what it was, whether it was straight line winds or something else."
The National Weather Service said it's confident there was no tornado yesterday, just a quickly moving thunderstorm.
"The sky was so black and foreboding and dark, I've never seen the sky like that," Bob Baesher said.
Some of the trees that fell were so large that crews are using heavy equipment.
"We brought the crane out because it's the safest way to get it off and the most efficient," tree cutter John DeLuca said.
No one was injured during the storm. The three families who are now displaced are receiving assistance from the Red Cross.
The owner of the old convent plans to rebuild.
CBS3's Matt Petrillo contributed to this report.
