Storm causes evening blackouts

Yesterday's severe rainstorms caused damage throughout Philadelphia, downing trees and power lines, disrupting traffic and leaving parts of the city in the dark for up to two hours. Philadelphia Electric Company spokesperson Ron Harper said last night that 1700 customers in the University City area were without electricity at some point during the early evening, but that most of them had power restored by 9 p.m. Some fraternities along Locust Walk and houses along Spruce and Walnut streets lost electricity between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m., and regained it between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. University Police Sergeant Thomas Messner said last night that police were "bombarded" with scores of alarms, including fire alarms and intrusion alarms, which were triggered by the blackout. Messner said that police responded to the alarms at fraternities and houses around campus, but that all of them proved false.