Aug 14, 2003 By Steve Ferris 2 min read

MENALLEN TWP. – Residents living along about a quarter-mile stretch of Dearth Road felt the brunt of a brief, but fierce, storm Tuesday evening that knocked down trees and utility poles. The homes of Earl Franks Sr. and his family were right in the middle of it.

“It was just right in this little area,” Franks said Wednesday. “I’ve never seen anything like that.”

He said a friend of his who lives nearby and has weather monitoring equipment told him the wind reached 60 mph.

Franks, who works with his son as a contractor hauling mail between the post office in Uniontown and post offices in outlying areas, said he had to stop and pull off the road in Cardale due to the heavy downpour at 5 p.m.

He realized how bad the storm really was when he was on his way home around 8 p.m. after the storm ended.

“There were three or four places where trees were across the road,” Franks said.

A tree in the yard of his grandson’s house, which is next door, fell and knocked a utility pole against the house. His grandson lost power and phone service.

He helped his son and grandson clear the debris Tuesday night and Wednesday.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

Roy Shipley, Fayette County Emergency Management director, said rain was reported in various parts of the county, especially in Menallen Township.

“We had rain everywhere. The hardest rain hit in the Menallen Township area. That’s where we had the most trees and wires down.”