Editorial: Extreme weather shows need to work together
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Weather doesn’t care about borders.
The lines on a map are drawn by people in response to treaties, negotiations and legislation. The border between Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, for instance, is the result of years of history and decision, carefully surveyed and documented.
But when rain falls in Tarentum, it crosses the river into New Kensington, too. When it snows in Monroeville, people in Murrysville have to grab their shovels as well. Mother Nature goes where she wants.
It’s something we have seen often in recent years with extreme events.
Smoke from Canadian wildfires in 2023 dimmed skies in Pennsylvania and New York. In 2024, it reached Europe. Excessive heatwaves in one state can tax the electric grid in others.
Then there are hurricanes. While Pennsylvania is a bit far north and west to be regularly pounded by Atlantic storms the way Florida and the Carolinas are, the remnants are known to cause heavy waves and some flash flooding.
But not every weather impact has to happen in our area to affect us.
Hurricane Helene has left millions in the South without power, a situation that could up the storm’s death toll across four states. First Energy is sending 200 workers to help.
While West Virginia and Maryland line workers, mechanics and supervisors head to North Carolina, New Jersey and Pennsylvania employees will go to Georgia. Almost half are expected to come from the Keystone State, including 19 West Penn Power workers from New Kensington, Kittanning, Latrobe, Butler, Charleroi, Connellsville, Washington and Clarion.
This happens often in dramatic events. Nurses and doctors can be called to emergency events in other areas. Firefighters can be dispatched to wildfires in other states. It underscores the way people depend on each other, despite geography.
But it also speaks to the way dramatic weather events and our ability to predict them and prevent problems must be addressed. While it is easy to see tropical storms as a southern, coastal issue, that’s just not true.
We rely on agencies like the National Weather Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to tell us when problems are literally on the horizon. We need warnings in time to mitigate injuries and damage. We need to work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency — and its state agencies — to recover when these weather events occur.
Weather doesn’t acknowledge boundaries, and extreme events will continue to impact Pennsylvanians whether it is in our backyard or not.