Tuesday afternoon, heavy rain and high winds traveled across Northeast Ohio, leaving a wake of destruction and around 470,000 people without power. Authorities said around 20,000 residents in the city of Cleveland had their power restored by Wednesday, and said there was approximately 14,000 other customers who were still waiting for power to be turned back on.
Photos of devastation throughout communities in the state showed downed trees, facades of homes torn off, vehicles damaged, downed power lines and large pieces of structures strewn on roadways, Scripps News Cleveland reported. Boats at one popular marina in Lorain off the coast of Lake Erie had capsized.
A large swath of the Cleveland and surrounding areas were put under a severe thunderstorm warning and half a dozen counties were under a tornado warning. The National Weather Service said at least two tornadoes were spotted across multiple counties.
The storms came after fairly mild conditions in the area, but in the hours of severe conditions, major damage was done. Surveyors sent out to assess damage compiled reports on the storms, which were the strongest the area had seen in years.
Images from Scripps News Cleveland showed boats tossed on land at the Edgewater Marina and overturned.
In the town of Mentor, just outside of Cleveland off Lake Erie, fire crews had to lift up a car after a motorist drove around a barricade and into some downed wires.
And in the Lake Erie coastal town of Bay Village, fallen trees were seen strewn just about everywhere.
One home in Bay Village had its entire driveway blocked by a collapsed tree.
Residents were seen out clearing damage after the storms passed. One person had a tree fall onto their front porch, causing damage.
In Parma Heights, just Southeast of Cleveland, the entire roof of an apartment complex was blown off.
Fallen trees were spotted covering major roadways and causing delays for drivers. Homes and vehicles sustained damage when trees fell on them.
RELATED STORY | Flooding continues as Tropical Storm Debby regains some strength
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb said crews were out through Wednesday clearing debris and assessing damage. He asked residents without power or with medical needs to seek shelter with family or friends and ask the community for assistance.
This story was originally published by Drew Scofield at Scripps News Cleveland.
