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Philadelphia Weather: Thousands Without Power After Severe Storms Dump Hail, Rain

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A stormy afternoon led to widespread damage across much of Montgomery County as high winds and hail knocked out power and left destruction in its wake.

Wednesday afternoon's dangerous and destructive winds uprooted trees onto homes and powerlines.

"My whole backyard is full of hail," Jackie Rafter said.

Rafter is without power after the summer storm plowed right through her neighborhood in Montgomery County.

"As soon as the rain came, the hail came, and no lie, 1o minutes and it was unbelievable," Rafter said.

Nearby, in Fox Chase, residents are also without power, after trees were thrown onto powerlines.

"All the trees bent over that way, and the next thing I know, her tree uprooted and landed on the powerlines. Snapped every power pole on the left side of the road," Joe Sanchez said.

Also in Montgomery County, the storm ripped part of the roof off of the new Amazon fulfillment center being built.

In Blue Bell, it looked like Christmas in July in the Steeplechase community as hail covered the ground like fresh snow.

And traffic was down to one lane on the Schuylkill Westbound. Chopper 3 was over the scene, just west of the Fort Washington Interchange, where there was heavy flooding on the side of the highway.

In Chester County, cameras captured a tree blocking Newport Gap Pike near Coatesville Road in London Grove.

 

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