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Pittsburgh area experiencing unprecedented tornado season

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Pittsburgh area experiencing unprecedented tornado season


PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – A wicked week of weather has left residents picking up the pieces throughout the region after multiple tornadoes touched down, including the first in Pittsburgh city limits since 1998.

It’s been an active and unprecedented tornado season for Southwestern Pennsylvania, and according to experts, storm season began a bit early this year.

Over the past two weeks, we’ve seen storms and high winds create a path of destruction throughout the region, including last weekend in Washington County, before it started again yesterday in parts of Westmoreland, Washington, and Allegheny counties.

The National Weather Service confirmed 19 tornadoes in the tri-state area this year, with 10 in Pennsylvania.

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Fourteen happened this month alone, the most we’ve seen in May since 1985. Four of those twisters happened across the Pittsburgh region on Friday.

These numbers are abnormally high. The average number for the entire year is six.

The Pittsburgh Zoo did not take a day off Saturday after a tornado came through on Friday. Parts are a bit messy with leaves and tree limbs strewn about.

On people’s minds was just how rare it was that a tornado was in the city itself.

Tornadoes and Western Pennsylvania don’t typically find themselves in the same sentence.

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“It’s not something that usually happens; it’s like a Kansas thing,” Mat Georgetti said.

Or so Georgetti thought. He spent his day at the Pittsburgh Zoo.

“It’s kind of wild because we have a bunch of mountains here.”

Over in Westmoreland County, National Weather Service meteorologist Matthew Kramar was assessing the damage of what was determined to be an EF0 tornado.

“People are very lucky. It moved over highly residential areas. This is a crisis adverted in a way that the damage was as minimal as it was. The tornado was not very strong, but still enough to cause damage to trees, siding, shingles,” Kramar said.

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He got a look at a trampoline that was mangled.

“All of a sudden, I saw the wind going crazy behind me,” Matt Kaninberg said.

Kaninberg says it all happened quickly.

“I didn’t think anything of it. My wife calls me and says you need to get outside now. I look[ed] out, and my trampoline was two houses down; it was crazy.”

Kramar says we average four to six tornadoes a year. We’ve had 19 this year, including 14 in May alone.

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“We are well ahead of schedule on our tornado season,” Kramar said.

Zoo employee Christopher Haro experienced the storm on his way home.

“It’s a bit scary,” Haro said. “It’s a real shocker, I mean, the hot and the cold weather, especially this late in the season already, it’s a lot of devastation going on, so we’re worrying driving home, being inside the house or even with the dogs at home, it’s a lot.”

Everyone is hoping the weather simply calms down.

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Pittsburgh area’s low jobless rate beats state, U.S. rates

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Pittsburgh area’s low jobless rate beats state, U.S. rates






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Trash pickup schedules adjusted in Pittsburgh-area communities due to impending heat wave

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Trash pickup schedules adjusted in Pittsburgh-area communities due to impending heat wave


Several communities in the Pittsburgh area have adjusted their trash pickup times as the region is bracing for a heat wave with temperatures and heat indexes expected to be near 100 degrees this week. 

The hottest temperatures of 2026 are expected this week and by Tuesday afternoon, temperatures are anticipated to reach into the 90s. This, coupled with extremely high humidity levels, means the heat index — also known as the “feels like” temperature — will flirt with triple digits.

In Mt. Lebanon, trash and recycling pickup routes will begin earlier than normal to help keep workers safe amid the extreme heat.

“All trash and recycling should be placed at the curb the night before your scheduled collection day, as collection times may occur earlier than usual,” a notice posted on municipality’s Facebook page said.   

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Shaler Township said that it received an update from County Hauling that collection crews will begin their routes earlier than normal this week as well. 

“Please place all trash and recycling at the curb the night before your scheduled collection day,” the township said. 

In Robinson Township, trash collection will begin at 5 a.m. on Tuesday, one hour earlier than normal. 

People are being asked to have their trash and recycling at the curb at least one hour prior to their normal pickup time. 

Pleasant Hills Borough said it had adjusted its trash pickup schedule for earlier in the day on Friday to “help reduce employee exposure to hazardous temperatures.”

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“This temporary adjustment is being made in the interest of employee health and safety,” the borough said. “We kindly ask that you help notify your residents that all trash and/or recycling should be placed at the curb the night before their scheduled collection day, as collection times may occur earlier than usual.”

In Brentwood Borough, Noble Environmental will begin earlier collection on pickup routes as well.

People are being asked to place their trash and recycling at the curb the night before their scheduled collection day.

The borough added that collection days are not changing, only the start time of the pickup routes.

“Thank you for your cooperation as crews work safely during this week’s heat wave,” the borough said.

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The Library Volunteer Fire Company said that trash pickup in South Park Township is being moved earlier on Thursday.

“We kindly ask Township residents to place trash and recycling at the curb the night before Thursday, July 2nd pickup, as collection times may occur earlier than usual,” the notice said. 



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Tech community to Shapiro and Pennsylvania legislators: Wait on data center rules

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Tech community to Shapiro and Pennsylvania legislators: Wait on data center rules






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