Cleanup efforts were underway Sunday after damaging storms left behind downed trees, collapsed roofs and flooding across Philadelphia on Saturday. According to the National Weather Service, the extensive damage was caused by a series of at least four severe microbursts producing straight-line win d gusts of 60 to 70 mph that moved through portions of West and South Philly between approximately 2:44 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. “I parked up the street on 57th, my car somehow ended up across the street, circled back around and ended up on my lawn, and there was two other cars that were sitting in front of the stop light, everybody’s cars got shifted,” Ryan Forston, who was impacted by the storm. Following the severe storms, Mayor Cherelle Parker visited affected neighborhoods and issued a Declaration of Disaster Emergency. “To every Philadelphian impacted by today’s storms, I want you to know this: We are with you,” said Mayor Cherelle L. Parker. “Every level of government is working together today, tonight, and for as long as it takes to respond to this storm, restore services, and help our residents recover. That is our commitment.” Power outages More than 10,000 utility customers were without power on Sunday morning across the Philadelphia region, down from a peak of over 46,000 on Saturday afternoon. As of 8:32 a.m., about 9,915 PECO customers were without power, with the majority of outages reported in Philadelphia and Montgomery County. PSEG was reporting 138 outages in our coverage area, with 47 of those reported in Burlington County. Atlantic City Electric was reporting 360 outages, with 132 of those in Gloucester County and 185 in Atlantic County. Most impacted areas According to officials, one of the city’s most significant emergency responses occurred at a Philadelphia Housing Authority apartment building near 55th and Vine in West Philly, where high winds caused significant roof damage and substantial water intrusion that affected 11 residential units. “I hear a giant boom and I’m like, ‘Did we get hit by lighting?’ and then I looked out the front door and saw the roof was on top of my vehicle, and then immediately the leaking from the third floor and the second floor started to come down, so I immediately started unplugging everything and then getting the kids out,” said one of the residents impacted. Philadelphia Housing Authority President and CEO Kelvin Jeremiah said all residents were safely evacuated, with SEPTA buses providing temporary shelter while emergency responders assessed the building. “Our shared focus has been the safety of our residents. Because everyone worked together so quickly, we were able to safely evacuate every resident and immediately connect families with shelter, food, and the resources they need while we determine the next steps,” Jeremiah said. A vacant building also partially collapsed at S. 24th Street near Washington Avenue in Southwest Center City. NBC10 was on scene to find that bricks and other debris had fallen on a Jeep. No injuries have been reported. Ayhan Yuksal, the owner of the vacant building, said that the building has been empty for 20 years and he planned to make apartments at the site. On Sunday morning, multiple large trees were blocking part of the Schuylkill Trail south of Walnut Street. Officials said the city has now transitioned from its initial emergency response phase into a comprehensive damage assessment phase as crews continue evaluating impacts, clearing hazards, and prioritizing restoration efforts. The Mayor’s Office said the city will provide additional updates Sunday as more information becomes available. ...read more read less