Pittsburgh Zoo opens on time despite tornado's wrath

The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium opened on time Saturday, just a day after a tornado struck at 4:45 p.m. Friday.

The tornado toppled trees, damaged fences, knocked out the power and scattered branches, objects and other debris around the zoo property. Winds reached speeds of up to 85 mph, but none of the animals, staff or guests were injured, the zoo posted on Facebook.

A guest's parked Nissan Pathfinder was also damaged by a tree, zoo officials told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

“A shelter-in-place was called, and staff did an incredible job getting everyone, both people and animals, into secure locations. Everyone did a great job handling everything,” the zoo's CEO, Jeremy Goodman, said in a statement.

Crews worked overnight to regain power and clear blocked pathways between exhibits.

On Saturday, the public couldn't view several animals while the zoo worked to ensure their habitats were secure. This included the Tropical Forest Complex, which houses a variety of primates.

The Pittsburgh area was hit by four tornado touchdowns, including the one near the zoo, the National Weather Service told KDKA-TV. Wind speeds of the zoo tornado and one by the Highland Park Bridge reached 105 mph.

“Damage was noted at the Pittsburgh Zoo, and a number of trees and power poles were snapped along Washington Boulevard and near the Highland Park Bridge. The tornado lifted shortly after crossing the Allegheny River,” NWS Pittsburgh reported.