Executive Innamorato Extends Disaster Emergency for Allegheny County

Published on May 07, 2025

PITTSBURGH – On April 30th, County Executive Sara Innamorato declared a countywide disaster emergency following the devastating storms on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. Initial disaster declarations expire after seven days, so today County Executive Innamorato announced a 30-day extension on the emergency declaration. It will expire on June 6, 2025.

The April 29 storm brought destructive winds and heavy rain, causing massive damage across Allegheny County. Hundreds of thousands of residents lost power, two storm-related deaths were confirmed, and Allegheny County 9-1-1 experienced one of the highest call volumes in its history—receiving up to 1,000 calls per minute. The sheer number of emergency calls overwhelmed local systems, regional phone carriers, and backup communication infrastructure.

Allegheny County Emergency Services (ACES) activated a hybrid Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in advance of the storm, coordinating with the City of Pittsburgh Emergency Management Agency (EMA), Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), the American Red Cross, and Duquesne Light. Despite those efforts, the severity of the storm caused widespread disruptions. Downed power lines, trees, and debris made many roads impassable, and critical infrastructure—including hospitals and communications towers— were impacted. Power outages were extensive, and emergency crews worked around the clock to respond.

This disaster declaration enables the County to bypass normal procedures and immediately deploy all available resources for emergency response and recovery. 

The text of the original declaration follows:

WHEREAS, on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, Allegheny County experienced a severe weather event marked by destructive winds that caused widespread damage across the region, leaving hundreds of thousands without power and overwhelming emergency services with unprecedented 9-1-1 call volumes; and

WHEREAS, the ongoing impacts of this wind event—including downed trees and power lines, debris-blocked roads, damaged structures, and two confirmed storm-related fatalities—pose a serious threat to the health, safety, and welfare of a substantial number of residents in Allegheny County, and have created conditions beyond the County’s capacity to manage through normal operations; and

WHEREAS, multiple municipalities have submitted local disaster declarations, and significant damage to homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure has been reported; emergency management measures are required to reduce the severity of this disaster and protect the residents of Allegheny County;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, the undersigned County Executive of the County of Allegheny, pursuant to the provisions of Section 7501 of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Code (35 Pa.C.S.A. §7501 et seq.), the Allegheny County Home Rule Charter, Article V, Section 2(n), and the Allegheny County Administrative Code, Article III, Section 311.06, as amended, do hereby declare the existence of a disaster emergency in Allegheny County.

FURTHERMORE, I direct the Allegheny County Emergency Services Coordinator to coordinate all emergency response efforts, take necessary actions to reduce the impact of this disaster, assist in restoring essential services, and implement all emergency response measures deemed necessary.

STILL FURTHER, I authorize officials of Allegheny County to take all necessary actions to meet the current emergency, including hiring temporary workers, renting equipment, purchasing supplies, and entering into emergency contracts, as permitted under §5-903.05 of the Allegheny County Administrative Code.

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