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The Monday night thunderstorm that blew through Lower Bucks County brought intense winds, downed trees and powerlines and colored the sky while area transformers sparked a beat of their own.

According to a PECO outage map at the storms peak there were about 5500 customers without power expected to be restored by 11 p.m. Tuesday citing severe weather as the reason for power loss.

Many locals took to social media wondering if the intensity of the storm was in fact a tornado ripping through the lower end. The National Weather Service Monday afternoon issued a tornado watch, however several hours later said the “threat” had decreased, cutting back the watch from northwest to southeast, saying “risk still exists along and southeast of I-95 for the time being.”

Several parents commenting on Bristol-based Meta pages woke their children and took refuge in their basements fearing a tornado had touched the ground.

Jon Benson of Levittown posted a reel showing his car was crushed by a tree that snapped due to wind gusts.

Credit: Meta

Transformers sparking in addition to the severe thunderstorm lit up the sky in flashes of blue at times followed by booms.

Dawn Reiling-Leshner said it best of the hues in the night sky.

“I saw that and the multiple color changes was crazy. It looked like Parx Casino was nearby with those flashing lights.”

Credit: Meta

A former Bucks County Police officer will serve no jail time in a correctional facility but will be on “restricted probation” and house arrest for scheming to steal the estate of a 77 year-old Langhorne woman.

Carlito Cortez, 60, of Richboro, will serve the first 90 days of his sentence in home detention on the charge of criminal attempt to commit theft by deception, authorities said last week.

Common Pleas Judge Charissa J. Liller also imposed a concurrent seven-year probationary term for perjury. As special conditions of his sentence, Cortez must have no contact with the victim, undergo a mental health evaluation, complete a decision-making class, and submit a formal letter of apology to the woman he targeted.

“This case serves as a firm reminder of our commitment to protecting our seniors from those who seek to exploit them,” District Attorney Joe Khan said. “Protecting our elders from this kind of abuse is a top priority, and we will continue to hold those in positions of power accountable when they violate the public’s trust.”

The sentencing follows Cortez’s December plea of nolo contendere to charges including criminal attempt to commit theft by deception, securing execution of documents by deception, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, false swearing, perjury, and official oppression.

Cortez, who worked part-time for both the Yardley Borough and Langhorne Borough Police Departments, was charged in May 2025 following an investigation by Bucks County Detectives and the 21st Investigating Grand Jury.

The investigation revealed that Cortez exploited his position of authority to build a relationship with the victim after being assigned to investigate a theft at her home in 2020. He eventually manipulated her into signing a last will and testament that he falsely presented as a power of attorney document in an attempt to gain control of her estate, valued at more than $500,000.

During the sentencing hearing, the victim’s impact statement was read in court by Deputy District Attorney Alan J. Garabedian.

The statement detailed the profound emotional damage caused by the former officer’s actions. The victim, now 77, expressed a permanent sense of disappointment and a total loss of trust in those who offer help, noting that she now lives in fear and keeps her home constantly locked. She described the hardship of being unable to resolve home repairs due to the trauma caused by an officer of the law, and she shared that she is once again struggling to learn how to trust.

“The reason I am coming forward with this now is to protect other women in the future from being influenced by promises of affection, scare tactics, or emotional abuse,” she wrote in her impact statement.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued two alerts for Monday, a tornado watch until Monday evening and also a wind advisory Monday afternoon into Tuesday morning impacting the region.

The tornado watch is in effect until 7 p.m. possibly impacting portions of Delaware, Eastern Maryland, New Jersey, Southeast Pennsylvania and Coastal Waters, according to NOAA officials.

A tornado watch means that weather conditions are ideal for the formation of a tornado. Tornadoes are possible, but not imminent, according to the NWS.

The wind advisory is in effect from 2 p.m. Monday, March 16 until 2 a.m. Tuesday, March 17. The advisory affects portions of northern Delaware, northeast Maryland, central, northern, and northwest New Jersey, and east central, northeast, and southeast Pennsylvania including Morrisville and Trenton, posted in a recent NWS update.

According to NWS officials, south winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected, blowing around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.

Officials remind all that winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Use extra caution and to secure outdoor objects.