High winds down trees, cause damage across the region

PHILADELPHIA - March 13, 2014

Heavy gusts took down a tree in Lansdowne, Delaware County, blocking Baltimore Avenue at Windermere.

In Southwest Philadelphia, a large tree limb snapped at its base, and the branches stretched across the intersection of 70th Street and Lindbergh Boulevard.

A viewer sent in mobile phone video from Camden, New Jersey. A tree toppled over and broke apart, covering Kearsarge Road with debris.

High winds also damaged the sign of Ana's Pizza 2 in the 200 block of Broadway in Camden.

And in Delaware, high winds may have been to blame for a power outage in Wilmington.

The Elsmere Fire Company responded for a report of a pole on fire shortly after 9:00 p.m. Wednesday and 137 customers in the immediate area lost service.

Back in Pennsylvania, PECO crews were out at daybreak examining the branches that leaned against power lines. Word of power outages started rolling in across the area as branches and trees couldn't survive the strong gusts.

With wind gusts topping 45 miles per hour in spots, it hit you in the face when you walked out the door.

"My eyes are watering now cause the wind hitting them," said Corran Branch, West Philadelphia.

The commute was a cold one at 69th Street Station in Upper Darby. Riders huddled together waiting for the bus and bustled to get out of the wind and into the heat.

"This is freezing. I can't believe how cold it is today. Where is spring, where is spring?," said Cynthia Campbell, Upper Darby.

You could hear the wind whipping in Lansdowne, where tha huge tree stretched across Baltimore Avenue by Windermere Street.

In Bala Cynwyd, winds were ripping through Montgomery Avenue. We spoke to one visitor from Texas who was looking forward to a warm return south.

"I'm here for the week. I'm glad I'm getting out tomorrow," she said.

While fans of this raging winter's weather may be dwindling at this point of the season, they're still out there.

"I can actually come out of winter knowing that I'm satisfied. If the heat gets too hot, I don't care because I had my winter," said Annie Bull, Haverford.

The temperatures the last few days have been a bit of a tease, but keep an eye on this weekend, and we are forecasted to a see a warm-up.

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