Summer Gas Waiver Granted for Western Pennsylvania (ContributorNetwork)

Hurricane Irene inflicted some damage on northeastern Pennsylvania, and Tropical Storm Lee compounded that damage by flooding even more areas. As damage estimates quickly approach the $50 million level, another issue that resulted from the series of bad weather was quickly handled by Gov. Tom Corbett and the Environmental Protection Agency. The regulation that requires a summer blend of gasoline be sold in the Pittsburgh area was lifted.

What does gasoline in Pittsburgh have to do with flooding on the other side of the state?

Flooding from Lee and Irene has caused fuel delivery delays to southwestern Pennsylvania. Those pipelines carry large amounts of fuel to the Pittsburgh region. In addition, Irene caused the shutdown of many pipelines and refineries that supply gas to western Pennsylvania. The summer blend of fuel is what retailers are required by law to sell, and is in short supply and could have run out. Since the conventional fuel is readily available, the state asked for a waiver from the EPA to sell that fuel to avoid additional difficulties.

Why is summer blend fuel required?

During the summer months in an effort to reduce emissions, the EPA requires the summer blend to keep those smog-creating chemicals at a minimum. Outside the Pittsburgh area, conventional fuel is available all year, but the city has a notorious air quality record that draws the attention of the EPA. The summer blend is required for the period of June 1 to Sept. 15, which means the date was drawing close anyway.

Has the waiver issue been raised before?

The issue of having the Pittsburgh area issued a waiver for use of conventional fuel versus summer blend was brought up earlier in the year. During that event, problems with the pipeline caused a minor gas shortage in the Pittsburgh area; however, a waiver was not granted in that case.

What counties are affected?

There are seven counties in the Pittsburgh area affected by the change in fuel: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland. The waiver should assure an adequate supply of gas for consumers.

Jason Gallagher is a long-time Pennsylvania resident. He has experiences in trends and developments in many regions from having lived in many parts of the Keystone State, and currently resides in the Pittsburgh area.

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Pennsylvania Residents Begin Inventory of Damage from Lee (ContributorNetwork)

Hurricane Irene made quite an impact on a few regions in Pennsylvania, but Tropical Storm Lee compounded that effect by bringing even more rain. As the state was approved for federal help from the damage that Irene brought, Lee came along and made a bad situation that much worse. Some 150,000 residents were evacuated in anticipation of flooding, and Lee did not disappoint. Now, as residents start returning to their homes the real work begins.

Are the mandatory evacuations over?

While not completely lifted, evacuation orders for many areas have been lifted. However, many locations affected by Lee still have a standing curfew order, which could be lifted at any time. Power is being restored slowly and surely to many homes, but those in remote locations might be waiting a little while.

How much damage resulted from Tropical Storm Lee?

More than 2,000 structures were damaged from flooding. While no specific dollar amount has yet to be confirmed, analysts put the cost in the tens of millions of dollars. The situation could have worse if evacuations ahead of the storm and other preparations had not been made. When Lee arrived many officials were still assessing the damage from Irene, and many emergency management agencies were already close by as a result.

Will federal aid be available?

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett has asked President Barack Obama to declare a major disaster declaration in the state. Once federal approval is in place, residents will be able to seek federal help. Up to $30,200 will be available to each homeowner to help cover repairs and home essentials, such as furnaces.

What is the death toll from Tropical Storm Lee in Pennsylvania?

Unofficially, the death toll from Lee stands at 12. But that number could have been much higher had residents not evacuated low-lying areas.

How long with the recovery take?

The damage will take a few weeks to sort out, but even the most conservative guesses will stand at months or longer. Many residents are just starting to return to their flood ravaged homes and specific conditions are trickling into the media every hour. The recovery from this disaster will take some time, but some luck will also be needed to avoid another punch from more storm remnants in hurricane season.

Jason Gallagher is a long-time Pennsylvania resident. He has experiences in trends and developments in many regions from having lived in many parts of the Keystone State, and currently resides in the Pittsburgh area.

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Storm kills Amish teen in Pennsylvania, power out in Northeast (Reuters)

BOSTON (Reuters) – Thousands remained without power across the Northeast on Friday in the wake of severe lightning storms that killed an Amish teenager rushing to bring in hay before the rain struck.

Thunderstorms had rumbled through the region late Thursday, marked by dramatic and deadly lightning strikes.

Before the rain reached southeastern Pennsylvania, Levi Lantz, 13, was working his Amish family's farm in Christiana Borough when he was struck by lighting and killed, according to Eric Bieber, chief deputy coroner of Lancaster County.

Lantz was baling hay with his father when he was electrocuted by the lightning, Bieber said. Lantz's father was driving a team of horses about 30 feet away from his son and felt a slight tingling sensation from the electrical charge, he said.

"They were trying to get the hay in before the rain started," Bieber said.

Throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, a line of severe thunderstorms brought strong winds and hail to communities from Washington, D.C., to Maine, according to National Weather Service reports.

Wind, downpours and lightning strikes in Connecticut caused damage and more than 140,000 power outages at the peak, the state's emergency management agency reported.

By early Friday, 62,000 customers remained without power in what was expected to be a multi-day outage, according to Connecticut Light & Power.

New York officials reported roughly 18,000 customers remained in the dark statewide on Friday morning with the bulk of outages in the lower Hudson Valley.

Local teams were managing clean-up efforts, said William Peat, spokesman for the office of emergency management in New York.

The intense weather ushered in more moderate temperatures after days of unseasonable heat.

Temperatures across the region were expected to remain warm in some spots, but Friday's weather "is going to be a lot more tolerable than the last two days," said John Koch, a National Weather Service meteorologist.

New York looked forward to temperatures in the mid 80s compared to normal readings in the upper 70s. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania was expected to reach the upper 80s while residents in Boston anticipated cooler weather in the low 70s.

(Reporting by Lauren Keiper and Daniel Lovering; Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Jerry Norton)

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